The 27 Club
by Relena's Glam Squad
Summary: With Heero AWOL, Trowa draws closer to Relena, but she's slowly disappearing into a new alter-ego- who's as sexy as she is dangerous. Is the acrobat in over his head?
1. An Invitation

**Brussels, Belgium**

 **June, A.C. 207**

Trowa surveyed the spectators who were filing into the stands under the big top. From his place in the shadows, he saw the familiar blonde pass through the tent flaps and take a seat in the front row. Beside him, Catherine bumped him in the arm with her elbow.

"Whatcha lookin' at, bro?" She smirked knowingly. Trowa ignored her, not moving his eyes from the woman in the stands. Catherine nudged him again. "Did you send her the tickets this time?" Trowa continued to ignore his sister, so she nudged him again. "You finally got the balls, huh?"

"Shut up, Catherine," Trowa mumbled. She trilled a laugh, making Trowa flinch. Trowa _had_ sent the tickets, but he'd sent two.

She had come alone.

Near the edge of the big top, the ringmaster stepped through a flap and glanced toward his two stars. Catherine nudged her brother for the third time.

"Let's go," she said, and tugged him by the arm back into the shadows.

After the ringmaster introduced the show, Trowa watched while the first acts performed: the elephant routine, the clowns, and the dancing dogs. Finally, Catherine and Trowa were up. They took synchronized breaths and exhaled, then stepped out into the spotlight.

Trowa and Catherine raised their hands together and bowed. When Trowa stood up, he could see _her_ watching the show with a smile on her face. With a better view, he could see that she had cut her hair shorter than he'd ever seen it before, into an angled bob that skimmed her shoulders.

Catherine grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the center of the ring. "Pay attention, Trowa," she whispered to him. Trowa mentally shook himself and pulled his focus back to the performance.

They began their act, flowing through the motions with practiced ease. But Trowa couldn't stop from allowing his gaze to fall on _her_. Catherine threw Trowa nasty looks; he was missing marks and fumbling through some of the aerial moves, trying to make up for his distraction. Catherine jabbed him in the side with her finger, but it was too late for him to return his full attention to their performance. Somehow, they completed their routine, landing in the center of the ring with a flourish. The audience broke out into applause, and Trowa and Catherine bowed. They pranced off the ring and back into an adjoining tent, where other performers were preparing.

Catherine whirled on Trowa, a frown on her face. "What was that?" she bellowed, startling Trowa and the other performers. Trowa hung his head.

"Sorry, sis," he replied.

"You can't let yourself get distracted over a girl," she chided him, her voice a little calmer, the heat in her cheeks lessening. "One of us could get hurt."

"I know. I'm sorry." Catherine exhaled a long breath, grasped his shoulder briefly, then stepped away to her makeshift vanity. Trowa watched her go, then turned away to peek through the tent flaps. She was no longer sitting in the audience. Trowa frowned.

Where did she go?

"Eh, Trowa!" one of the other performers called out. "You have a visitor!" Trowa spun around.

Relena Darlian stood just inside the tent, her hands clasped together, a small black purse slung over the shoulder of her short, fitted white dress. Trowa took a deep breath and crossed the tent. Relena reached out and hugged him around the shoulders.

"Trowa! That was amazing!" she exclaimed. Trowa smiled and bowed his head.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Well, I finally had a night off." She shifted in her wedged sandals and Trowa wondered if, for a second, the usually composed Foreign Minister was nervous.

Catherine reappeared at Trowa's side and stepped into a hug from Relena.

"Cathy! I was just telling Trowa how amazing you two are."

"Thank you!" Catherine said in a too-high voice, grinning at Trowa. "We were hoping you'd get to see the show before the circus moves again."

"Oh? How long are you in town?"

"The ringmaster has us scheduled for a few more weeks," Trowa answered. Relena opened her mouth to speak, but her phone began to ring. Excusing herself, she stepped back to answer. Catherine turned to Trowa with a sly grin.

"So are you gonna do it?"

Trowa looked at her blankly. "Do what?"

"Ask her out!" Catherine hissed. When Trowa didn't answer right away, she sighed impatiently. "Don't tell me you dragged her all the way out here for nothing?! Idiot."

"Well, I…" Trowa's face felt hot. Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Trowa! Just get it over with." Relena had started back in their direction, and Catherine smiled at her brother conspiratorially. "I'll help."

Trowa grimaced. "Please don't."

"Sorry about that," Relena said as she rejoined them. "That was Une."

"Anything serious?" Trowa asked.

Relena waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing to worry about right now." A group of performers entered the tent from the big top, laughing boisterously. "Well, I should get back into the stands so I can see the rest of the show! It was so nice to see you two!" She beamed at them.

Catherine clapped Trowa on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "You should come back here after the show is over!" she said to Relena. "Trowa's always starving after these shows, and I hear there are some great restaurants in Brussels..."

Relena clasped her hands excitedly. "Oh, that would be wonderful! We should all go out! I would love to show you two around."

 _All of us?_ Trowa shot a look at his sister.

Catherine grinned. "Excellent! Come on, Trowa. We have to get ready for our next act."

"Break a leg!" Relena gave a little wave as she exited through the tent flaps. Trowa's head was spinning, and it was several moments before he moved from where he stood. Behind him, he could hear Catherine cackling.

After the spectacle was over, Trowa nearly ran to his trailer to change into his street clothes. He knew he had a few minutes before the crowd would file out of the big top. He reached for his standby turtleneck and jeans combo, but instead chose a pressed button-down shirt and darker jeans. He looked in the mirror while parting his hair, a little self-conscious of the way it was growing out. With his bangs combed and parted, his hair hung slightly past his ears. At this point, Relena's hair wasn't much longer than his.

 _Relena._ She could be waiting for him - and Cathy - outside right now, and Trowa had no idea what he was going to say to her. Since they were in Brussels for the month, part of their summer-long European tour, he'd felt compelled to invite her to the show.

And there she was, and she'd seemed genuinely excited to see them. So now he was obligated to attempt to socialize with her, even though his past interactions with her had been few and far between.

 _No big deal_. _I'll make small talk._

Taking a deep breath, Trowa stepped out of his trailer. He headed toward the main drag of the circus, looking around. He didn't see Catherine, but as he approached the big top, he saw Relena hanging back by the entrance, looking at something on her phone. Trowa clenched and unclenched his hands a few times, trying to quell the nerves that were buzzing through his limbs.

As he neared, Relena lifted her gaze from her phone and smiled. She stowed her phone away in her purse and walked to meet Trowa.

"Sorry to make you wait," Trowa said. He couldn't help but notice how naturally pretty she looked in the early evening light.

"No problem. I already saw Catherine. She's not feeling well right now and is going to pass on dinner," Relena explained. Trowa frowned. Catherine had seemed perfectly fine when he saw her at the end of the show. Realization dawned on him that she was bowing out so Trowa could spend one-on-one time with Relena. He would have to give her grief for it later, but he couldn't worry about that right now. He needed to focus on finding things to talk about with Relena, and to make sure she didn't end up wasting her time with him.

Relena shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Shall we head out? We can take my car," she offered, catching him in the middle of his thoughts. Trowa mentally shook himself.

"Sure, that's fine." Relena smiled and stepped to his side, and together they made their way to the field that served as the parking lot for the circus. Other spectators were leaving the field as well, and there was a queue of cars lining up to turn onto the main road. Relena led the way to her car, a newer Mercedes Benz convertible in metallic cobalt blue. Trowa climbed into the passenger seat, wondering when Relena stopped using a driver and limousine.

He watched as Relena slid into the leather seat and pressed the button to turn on the car. With the press of another button, she dropped the top, exposing them to the warm summer breeze. Trowa tried not to stare while Relena tied a scarf around her hair. Something about the way her fingers tied the fabric…

"Trowa?" He flinched.

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked, trying to cover his awkwardness.

"I asked what kind of food you're in the mood for," Relena said, staring at him expectantly.

"Something local?" Trowa mused. "Anywhere but a chain is fine with me."

Relena grinned. "I know just the place…"

* * *

Trowa was grateful they made it to the cafe alive. The last thing he expected from Relena Darlian was for her to be an aggressive driver with a lead foot.

He was equally surprised by her choice in restaurants. The 27 Club, a trendy sidewalk bistro - with a sidewalk Relena half-parked on - was a more casual place than he would picture the likes of a dignitary. Nevertheless, she greeted the hostess by first name.

"Your usual table is ready, Miss Relena," the hostess said, escorting the pair to an outdoor seating area. The young woman disappeared after handing them menus. When Trowa glanced back at Relena, he noticed a slight flush on her cheeks.

"I'm a bit of a regular here," she said shyly. Trowa smiled at how endearing she looked when she blushed.

 _Does she come here with Heero?_ The unbidden voice in Trowa's head caught him off guard. His stomach tightened unpleasantly as he glanced over the menu, just looking for something to do to take his gaze off Relena's face.

"Have you decided?" Their waiter appeared, setting down two cocktail glasses. Trowa hadn't even noticed Relena ordering drinks.

"What's this?" He held the glass to his nose and sniffed.

"Bianca Castafiore," the waiter grinned.

"Try it." Relena winked. "It's sweet."

Trowa took a tentative sip. And immediately coughed.

"That's strong," he managed.

"Ooh, sorry about that." Relena took a practiced sip, eyeing him as she did. "You don't by chance have a nut allergy, do you?"

"No, I'm good," Trowa sputtered.

"Fabulous."

Trowa wondered if Relena had been spending much time with Dorothy lately, but before he could ask, the waiter cleared his throat.

"Are you ready to place your order?" he repeated.

Trowa hadn't had much time with the menu but at this rate, he could tell Relena felt comfortable ordering for him. He questioned whether he should let her. There couldn't be anything on the menu that had an alcohol percentage, could there?

"Please ask Chef Jules to make his specialty," Relena said in a confident tone belying her nobility. Something about the tilt of her chin reminded Trowa of her days as Queen of the World.

 _Then again,_ Trowa thought, _you can't take the nobility out of the royal…_

For a moment, silence stretched between them, punctuated by the sounds of cars, the clatter of cutlery, and the low buzz of conversation. Under the table, Trowa twisted his fingers around, desperately searching his mind for a topic of conversation. Every moment that passed felt more stilted than the last. He wondered if Relena was also hyper-aware of the silence between them.

"Have you been to the colonies lately?" Relena asked. "Where Duo and Hilde are?"

"Not yet. We have a few shows there coming up this fall," Trowa answered, the tension in his shoulders easing a bit. "How is… how's your Mars project going?"

To Trowa's immense relief, Relena launched into a lengthy explanation about the terraformation project, which carried them to the arrival of their food, which ended up being Belgian-style hamburgers and French fries - rather, _pomme frites_ \- with various dipping sauces. Once again, Trowa was surprised. He hadn't really thought about what the young, successful Foreign Minister liked to eat, but hamburgers defied all expectations.

"I hope you like it," Relena said, gesturing to his plate. "This is one of my favorite restaurants in the world."

"I'm sure I will," Trowa said. To emphasize his statement, he picked up the burger and took a bite. Flavors and juices exploded on his tastebuds, rendering him speechless as he chewed and swallowed his first bite. Trowa wasn't by any means well-versed in cooking, but this was the best thing he'd eaten in recent and distant memory.

"Amazing," he breathed. Relena clapped her hands together in delight and took a bite of her own burger. With plates in front of them, it was easier to make small talk about food around bites. Before long, Trowa's first drink was gone, replaced quickly by a second, and his tongue began to loosen.

"... It wasn't really my idea to incorporate aerial tricks into our routine, but Cathy was insistent. And once the ringleader saw her idea, he wouldn't drop it," Trowa explained.

"Really?!" Relena seemed genuinely surprised, although Trowa had to wonder if her enthusiasm was at all influenced by her second drink. "But you've always been so gifted in that area, I would have thought you came up with all those moves yourself…"

"Well, actually, I did," Trowa said. "Cathy just made me do them, you know, in public."

" _Wow_ …" Relena drew out the word, something Trowa was _sure_ was because of the alcohol, this time. "I wish I could do that."

"What, make me do something embarrassing in public?" Trowa attempted a joke. It landed, and Relena giggled.

"No…" Her cheeks were reddening. "I mean fly through the air like that. I'm so jealous." She rested her chin in her palm and glanced at him fondly. "I haven't even done a cartwheel since I was maybe seven. And even then, I was probably furious for tearing my dress, or something."

Trowa chuckled. Prior to this evening, he wouldn't have been able to imagine Relena tearing a dress while attempting gymnastics, but he was beginning to see a completely different side of her.

"It certainly is easier if you're not wearing a dress," Trowa said. Relena just gaped at him.

"Pardon?"

"Pants. I mean, wearing pants." Trowa reached for his water glass and realized it was a collins glass. Full of liquor. _Damn._ He lifted his gaze up to Relena to see her burst into riotous laughter. A few nearby diners glanced in their direction, but Relena was completely chuckled as well and leaned back against the chair, picking at the remnants of his meal. The waiter returned and swept away their plates, replacing them with some impressive-looking desserts. Once again Trowa had no idea what Relena had ordered, but he realized he didn't care.

He took a bite of something chocolate, spiked with what tasted like brandy.

"How is that?" Relena gestured to his plate with her fork. She was trying something that appeared to be a lemon custard-filled cream puff.

"Want to try it?" He asked her.

"Sure."

But before Relena could dig her own fork in, Trowa surprised himself by leaning forward and lifting his spoon to Relena's lips.

She didn't back away, like he'd half-expected. She parted her lips and allowed him to feed her the morsel of chocolate. When Trowa withdrew the spoon, he realized his hands were shaking. He only hoped she hadn't noticed. But Relena was busy savoring the bite.

She also insisted on feeding him some of her dessert, and Trowa had to wonder how that must look to their fellow patrons and passersby, if anyone was even paying them the slightest bit of attention. Everything around them was a blur, anyway, as if they were in their own little world.

And then it happened. Something welled up in Trowa and the words were escaping his lips before he had a chance to recapture them.

"So where's Heero?"

Relena's fork clattered on her plate. Trowa winced as her face paled. _Shit._

"We should get the check," she stammered.

* * *

 _A/N: Long live Sunday Funday! We hope you enjoy this one._

 _\- RGS_

 _#SquadGoals_


	2. Double Life

Trowa felt shame simmer in his chest. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, until Relena tore her eyes away and signaled the waiter.

"This is my treat, by the way," she told him, her expression stern. It felt like an order. Trowa frowned, reaching for his wallet.

"That's nice of you to offer, but let me."

Relena dabbed her mouth delicately with her napkin before turning her icy blue eyes toward his. "You were kind enough to give me tickets to your show, so please. It's the least I can do." Her words were warm, but her voice had gone cold.

Before he could think better of it, Trowa reached across the table and clasped her hands.

"Relena," he admonished, controlling his voice to keep it level. "I've got this."

She leveled his gaze and carefully withdrew her hands from his. When the waiter arrived, with a simple nod of her head, Relena said, "Just put it on my tab. Thank you."

"Of course, Miss Relena," the waiter said with a bow.

Relena thanked him again, handing him a generous tip. Trowa watched this exchange, his face burning. It irritated him that she had clearly assumed he couldn't afford the meal.

Their power struggle over, she looked back at him. "Shall we?" Relena withdrew the keys to her car from her purse and stood up abruptly from the table, nearly knocking over the chair. Trowa's momentary irritation was replaced with concern.

"Nice try." He came up behind Relena, placing his hands on her waist to steady her. "I'll take these," he added, snatching away her keys. She opened her mouth to protest, but Trowa turned and led the way out of the bistro. He felt her follow behind him in a huff.

Before they reached the car, he felt her hand close around the sleeve of his shirt.

"It's been two years."

Trowa stilled his steps.

"I haven't seen or heard from him in two _years_."

He chanced a look over his shoulder. Relena's gaze was averted, her lips creased in a deep frown.

"I'm sorry," he answered automatically. He winced as soon as her eyes misted. Trowa turned to fully face her, the fabric of his sleeve slipping through her fingers. Her hand dropped to her side, heavy with a weight Trowa hadn't realized she was carrying. "Relena…"

"It's nothing," she snapped, attempting to step away from him, but Trowa rested his hands on her shoulders, keeping her in place.

"It's perfectly valid to give in to your emotions," Trowa murmured. Relena glared up at him.

"Yes. So I've heard…"

"You don't have to tell me anything, if you don't want to." He looked past Relena's parked car, down the tree-lined street, the colorful awnings of cafes and shops dotting the landscape. The sun was sinking further behind the horizon, and white lights strung through the trees began to switch on, bathing the area in a warm, golden glow.

"Want to walk?" He thought perhaps a change of subject - and scenery - would do them both good.

Relena looked glumly at her poorly-parked vehicle. "My car will probably get towed here."

Trowa chuckled, slipping an arm around her shoulders as they started off. "Probably."

Gradually, he noticed that Relena's mood lifted, and soon she was chattering happily about work. Which Trowa thought was ironic, but adorable. It was obviously a passionate topic for her, although he surmised Relena buried herself in her projects as a distraction tactic.

"Would you ever go to Mars?" she was asking.

"In a heartbeat." Her eyes widened at his quick response.

"What about your job?"

Trowa shrugged. "First circus on Mars? Not a bad a gig…"

Relena let out a peal of laughter.

"What?" Trowa deadpanned. "Assuming, of course, they don't already have one."

"I'll inform Milliardo that none of the construction workers are allowed to start up a circus, then. The honor will go to you." She giggled behind her hand.

"Is that what you're doing next?" His tone turned serious.

"I'm not starting up a circus, no." Relena's eyes twinkled.

"Going to Mars, I mean."

She sighed. "Well, I have seriously considered it..."

"Hmm." Trowa had to wonder, just for a moment, if Relena had come to his show to say goodbye.

"... But I'm not sure, at this point," she continued. "I still have so much work to do here, and that would mean I'd have to relinquish my duties as Foreign Minister and start something new. Although it would be nice to get to live with my brother, and Noin, albeit in very close quarters…"

Trowa inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of her leaving the planet stirred something within him. She'd probably been kidding, but if she _had_ asked him, seriously...

"Heero and I had talked about moving up there to help with establishing the government, but…" Relena cut herself off, her eyes wide. Trowa assumed she hadn't meant to say that much.

"Right." He nodded curtly. She probably didn't want him to address it from there, but he wondered how much longer they could go on dancing around the subject.

"He didn't…" Trowa started, glancing at Relena's face to make sure it was all right to go on. Her gaze didn't waver so he took that as consent. "He didn't go without you, did he?"

"No. My brother would have told me," she answered, then sighed deeply. "He had shown up at my house to celebrate my twenty-fifth birthday but said he couldn't stay long, and, in his usual fashion, he was gone before sunrise. I assumed it was another Preventers mission, as always. But Une said she hadn't given him anything." Her shoulders sagged. "It's been radio silence ever since."

Trowa couldn't say he was shocked by this. "That sounds like Heero," he admitted.

Relena nodded slowly. "It's nothing that I didn't expect, honestly. We never… had a formal agreement or anything. I just wasn't prepared for it when it actually did happen. But I guess one never can be."

"Well, I don't know Heero as well as you, but I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up again, just as unexpectedly as he left." Relena made a low noise in her throat, but didn't say anything else.

"Unless of course he's dead."

 _Shit._ He'd said that out loud. Maybe he'd had too much alcohol, after all. He waited for the inevitable slap to strike his cheek.

He felt Relena's shoulders start to shake under his arm but, to his bewilderment, she hadn't started crying. She was laughing, darkly.

"I'm sorry," he started. "That wasn't funny…"

Relena clutched her sides. "I know," she gasped. "It's just something Duo once told me. He said… He said it was the only way Heero would ever get away from me…"

Trowa smirked. "You _were_ pretty aggressive when you tracked him down in Antarctica. I was kind of freaked out, but also impressed."

"I think you were the only one," Relena deadpanned. Trowa shook his head.

"You impressed the world," he said reverently. "The only one who really needed convincing was Wufei." Relena laughed, a hand pressed to her chest.

"You may be right about that," she chuckled.

Their laughter faded into silence as they continued through Brussels, toward the Parc du Cinquantenaire in the European Quarter, which Trowa recognized from a few brief tours around the city. He glanced at Relena, her face tilted up to the sky, watching the stars, or maybe the colonies or Mars. There was still so much he didn't know about her, and yet the more he learned, the more he wanted to uncover.

"This is me," she said suddenly.

"Huh?" Trowa realized he'd been watching her face more than the street in front of them.

Relena grinned. "I've always wanted to say that, and since you've never been to my place… Here we are." She waved her hands and mouthed, "Ta-da!"

They stood before a stately, pale yellow brick townhouse. It was part of a larger building structure with similar homes on either side, but it was surrounded by its own stone wall, with an ornate iron gate built into it. A small row of trees and shrubberies lined both sides of a stone pathway leading up to a small but impressive marble staircase.

"Wow." It was obviously a posh neighborhood, but Trowa couldn't help but wonder if Heero had approved of Relena living so out in the open. The residence was still fairly private, but certainly no castle fortress, like she'd had in the Sanc Kingdom.

"You like it?" Relena began punching a code into an electronic pad on the gate. "I was so excited to find a place in Etterbeek; it's kind of a trendy neighborhood, so it's getting harder to find old townhouses like these, with so many original features. Of course, I've had to make some modifications…"

"What about your car?" Trowa interrupted as Relena stepped through the open gate.

She waved dismissively. "We can go back for it later. It's only a ten-minute walk."

Their walk had felt longer than ten minutes, but then they had been taking it slow, and Trowa wasn't exactly keeping track of the time.

"Besides," Relena added as she climbed the stairs, "if my good friends at The 27 Club actually _do_ have my car towed, after all the business I've given them, well…" She waggled her brows in a mock threat. "There will be words exchanged."

They paused at the front door, which was painted a deep shade of green. Trowa placed a hand on it, admiring the handiwork and the cold, hard steel. He rapped his knuckles against it for good measure. "Pretty solid," he remarked.

"It's Gundanium alloy," Relena quipped. Trowa quirked an eyebrow. "Kidding. But watch out for the booby traps," she warned playfully.

Trowa doubted she was kidding that time. Knowing Heero, the place was probably rigged.

The foyer was just as impressive as the outside of the house, with a marble floor and a spiral staircase, and surprisingly high ceiling. A glittering chandelier hung overhead, but it was small and delicate, and didn't seem ostentatious.

A brief tour of the downstairs ensued, with Relena excitedly pointing out details such as the granite countertops and custom cabinets in her kitchen, which she admitted to hardly ever using.

"I'm at The 27 Club far more than I care to admit," she sighed, stroking the smooth, white granite. Trowa didn't want to ask if the kitchen had come that way, or if Heero had done all of the upgrades for her.

"Anyway. It might sound silly, but this is the first place I ever bought on my own- not something I just inherited. So I'm pretty proud of it." Relena flushed. Trowa did know her well enough to know that she didn't go around flaunting her wealth.

He folded his arms and leaned back against the counter. "And yet you would give all of this up, and go live in a pod on Mars."

She laughed. "Not a pod. They're very sophisticated micro-housing units, I'll have you know. Or at least they will be... Right now poor Milliardo, Noin, and the crew are kind of roughing it, until the atmosphere changes enough to support more comfortable dwellings." Relena pulled down two glasses from her cabinets and retrieved a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator.

"How long will that take?" Trowa asked. Relena shrugged after she handed him one of the glasses.

"Probably a few more years. Terraforming technology improves all the time, but we always have setbacks, so it's difficult to determine a viable timeline."

"That sounds frustrating," he commented, but Relena gave him an easy smile.

"We expected this," she replied. "Overall, the project is moving along just fine." Trowa sipped on his iced tea - it was very good - and glanced around the kitchen. He didn't really want to admit to himself that he was looking for touches of Heero; perhaps a photo, or an actual booby trap. But nothing stood out. If he was honest, it almost seemed like the house was a model for a magazine, rather than a home where someone lived. It was too pristine, too organized.

"What's wrong?" Relena's words forced Trowa out of his thoughts. Her gaze followed his critical eye around the kitchen. "You hate it, don't you?"

"'Hate' is a strong word…" Trowa took another sip of his tea. "It's not my style, but then I have no basis for comparison. I live in a trailer."

Relena tipped her head at him thoughtfully.

"I suppose the nomadic lifestyle suits you," she offered. "But do you think you'll live that way forever?"

Trowa often wondered this himself. "Maybe. It's all I've ever known, never really staying in one place for too long. I'd probably get restless." _Like Heero,_ he almost added, but didn't. And, anyway, he knew she understood that all too well. She just nodded, taking a slow sip of her iced tea.

"So, where are you off to next?"

"We have a limited run in Marseilles. Then we'll finish up the summer in the U.K. and Ireland... Glastonbury, Cardiff, Belfast…" He ticked the city names off with his fingers.

"I love Marseilles," Relena sighed. "I haven't been there in so long… and it's beautiful this time of year. Not too hot, with the mistral winds…"

"You should come out for a weekend," Trowa found himself saying. "I mean, if you have time." He quickly turned his head toward Relena's living room to find something else to look at. His gaze landed on a framed photograph, but it appeared to be of Relena and Zechs as children. Still no signs of Heero anywhere. "I'm sure Cathy would love to see you…" he continued. "Especially since she had to miss tonight's… get-together." Whatever it was.

His head turned when he heard Relena stifle a giggle.

"Oh, please. We both know she wasn't ill."

Trowa concentrated on swishing around the pale brown liquid in his glass.

"This was a setup, if I've ever seen one," she added, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Hm," was all he said in reply.

"But what I'm still not clear about…" Relena took a few steps toward him, jabbing her pointer finger at his chest, "Is why you sent me those tickets in the first place."

"Why not?"

Relena smirked at his response. "You have to admit, it was out of the ordinary. I can't even remember the last time we ran into each other, at a Preventers function or otherwise."

Trowa focused on keeping his tone even. "We were in the same city, so I thought you might like to see a show. That's all."

"You didn't plan to take me out afterward?" she asked. Trowa shook his head.

"I wasn't even sure you'd show," he said, trying to keep himself as nonchalant as possible. It was becoming more and more difficult under Relena's practiced politician's gaze. She continued to stare at him, as if she expected him to crack at any moment. Is this how politicians felt when they went head to head with Relena Darlian? Trowa didn't envy them one bit.

Just when it seemed he would spill all his thoughts he wasn't ready to share, the trill of a ringing phone broke through the silence. Relena left the kitchen to find her phone. Trowa exhaled in relief. He'd almost lost it.

The ringing stopped, and Trowa could hear Relena's side of the conversation.

"Hello, Gold… Yes… Understood. I will… Okay. See you soon."

Trowa frowned. Why had Relena called Une by her Preventer codename? Relena appeared back in the kitchen. She was frowning.

"Something's come up."

Trowa nodded. "I see. Is it… serious?" The lame question fell out of his mouth before he could think twice- it was probably the same thing he'd asked her about earlier, which she had brushed aside.

"Not exactly…" Relena seemed to hesitate. "But I should probably go. Just in case."

Trowa stilled his features, refusing to give away any emotion he might feel over having their evening cut short. "Let me at least walk you back to your car," he said.

"Sure. I just need a few minutes." She disappeared up the stairs. Trowa stood awkwardly in her kitchen, waiting for her to return. He could hear her moving around on the second floor of the townhome, and he had to force his mind not to wonder what she might be doing up there.

After a few minutes, he heard her descend the steps in what sounded like heeled boots. When she entered back into the kitchen, Trowa's jaw went slack.

She was wearing skin-tight leather pants and a fitted black top, over which she'd pulled a loose leather jacket. On her feet were shiny black boots with a tall heel. Somehow, she moved gracefully through the kitchen and into the hallway, where she picked up her purse. After zipping her jacket, she looked up at Trowa expectantly.

"Shall we?"

Trowa followed after her in a daze. They left her townhouse and headed down the street, presumably in the direction of The 27 Club. Trowa was desperately trying to find the right words to use to ask her what was going on. And why she was wearing _that_...

Her phone rang again. He watched her frown at the screen and answer the call.

"This is Rain," she said quietly into the phone, and Trowa's mouth dropped once again. She had her _own_ codename? "Okay, thank you." She hung up abruptly. Trowa couldn't stand it anymore.

"Relena, what are you getting yourself into?" he asked, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"All of _this_!" he cried, gesturing to her outfit. "And you have a codename?! What's going on?"

"Oh." She looked startled. "I assumed you all knew." Trowa rapidly shook his head. "I started going undercover for Preventer a few years ago," she explained, shrugging one shoulder. "Just on occasion."

"Why?" Trowa asked incredulously.

"We all have our own special skills," she answered, a sly smile on her lips. She stepped out of the grasp of his hand and continued down the sidewalk.

Trowa stared after her, mouth agape. How much time _had_ she spent with Heero?

Relena's car had not been towed - it was still parked at an odd angle, partially on the sidewalk. Before Relena climbed into the driver's seat, something Trowa was not looking forward to, she waved to the hostess at The 27 Club, who waved back with a smile.

"Come on," she said. "I can drop you back off at the circus." Trowa hesitated before getting in the car.

"I should go with you," he stated. "I would… I would never forgive myself if something happened to you." Relena tilted her head and smiled sweetly at him.

"I appreciate that, Trowa, but nothing is going to happen to me. I've had training and am more than capable of protecting myself." She smiled. "Haven't you noticed that I no longer have a bodyguard?"

Trowa had noticed, and thought it was peculiar that she had come to the circus alone. He had heard whispers that Heero was no longer around, for whatever reason, but he had at least expected Relena to come with some security. And the way she walked around the city, unaccompanied, nonchalantly leaving her car in very public places… He'd always considered the former Queen of the World to be fearless, but this? This was a whole new level.

His curiosity was piqued- he wanted to see this new Relena in action.

If she'd let him.

"Maybe I could serve as backup," Trowa offered.

Relena didn't answer him until she had successfully pulled out of her makeshift parking spot and started down the street.

"It's not the type of situation where that would be warranted," she explained, obviously trying not to give anything away.

"Like what?" Trowa pressed.

"Well, it's not like we're infiltrating a terror cell," Relena answered.

"That still tells me nothing."

After a moment, she sighed. "The truth is, I don't know _exactly_ what I'm walking into. We've been trying to get intel for several months now, and only recently got a good enough lead to act on. Putting anyone else in excessive danger would be irresponsible."

"That's still not a very good reason, Relena," Trowa said. "And anyway, you've told me this much already." With her lips pressed into a pout, she groaned.

"Fine," she grunted. Reaching down, she picked up her purse, swerving a bit on the road as she did so, and pulled out a smaller bag from her purse. To Trowa, it looked like a makeup bag. She tossed it in his lap. "This should give you a good enough explanation as to why you cannot come with me. But you have to promise not to say anything to _anyone_."

Trowa opened the makeup bag and dumped the contents out onto his lap. Colored contacts, dark eyeliner, dark lipstick, and an ID badge, showing a picture of Relena, though her hair was much darker, with the name _Faye Oaks_. The company name on the badge read _Abbott Memorial Research Institute_. Trowa swallowed hard and glanced at Relena.

"You're an undercover agent?" He frowned. "How is that even possible?"

"You'd be surprised," she said with a shrug. "You should know more than anyone that it doesn't take much to alter one's appearance. Look in the glove box." Trowa reached over and opened the hatch. A black wig tumbled out. He picked it up and shook it out. The wig had the same bobbed hairstyle as Relena, but in jet black - the same hairstyle she had in the ID photo.

"Do you understand now?" she asked. "Why I can't have you come with me?"

"No. Heero approves of this?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"He doesn't know. I told you, I haven't seen him in two years," she said. The car swung off the road and onto the dirt lane that ran up to the parking lot area of the circus. The big top fluttered gently in the near distance.

A thought entered Trowa's mind, and he smiled inwardly. To Relena, he said, "All right. I will let you go alone. But you have to promise to call me if you get in any kind of trouble." The expression on her face told him that she regretted telling him about her double life.

"I'll be fine, but thank you, Trowa," she said. Trowa put his hand on the door handle, but before he left, Relena leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you again for a lovely evening."

Trowa's face burned, but he managed to keep his cool. "Same to you." He nodded to her and stepped out of her car. As soon as the door was closed, Relena peeled out of the dirt road and onto the two-lane highway, back toward the city.

Trowa had to hurry. He only had a few minutes before he'd lose her.


	3. Erased

Catherine's motorcycle was parked behind her trailer with a helmet dangling from the handlebar. Trowa crept up on it. He was fairly sure that Catherine was in her trailer, but he was cautious all the same. He pushed up the kickstand and began to wheel the bike away from the trailer, the tires crunching over the gravel and dirt.

Once he made it to the road, there wasn't much he could do about the noise, but by then it would be too late for Catherine to chase after him. It wasn't that he didn't think she'd let him borrow the motorcycle; he knew she'd want to tag along, and Trowa was already risking his relationship with Relena by following her.

When the tires touched the pavement, Trowa hopped on and turned the key. The engine revved to life, and with a twist of his wrists, he threw the bike into gear and sped off down the road.

He pushed the bike to its limit. Who would have thought that he'd have to drive like a maniac just to keep up with Relena Darlian? The night wind skimmed past his skin, chilling him more than he expected.

The road crested slightly and over the hill, and he could see Relena's car speeding away. Trowa pushed the motorcycle a little faster, promising it that he'd slow down once he caught up. After a few more minutes, he could finally close enough to at least see the license plate, so he slowed down to keep an inconspicuous distance from her.

His curiosity continued to build as Relena took turn after turn, going further from the city, if the fading orange glow of Brussels was any indication. Relena took another turn, this time barely slowing down enough to keep the car on the road. The driver side tires skidded through the gravel next to the pavement, and the car fishtailed slightly as she overcorrected to get back between the lines of the road. Trowa dropped back a bit further from her as her chaotic speed began to slow.

Up ahead, Trowa could see a large structure. It looked almost like a military complex, surrounded by fences and guards. They passed a large sign that read _Abbott Memorial Research Institute._ Trowa slowed down further and shut off the motorcycle's headlight, cloaking himself in relative darkness. There was nothing he could do about the engine.

Relena drove up to the gate and slowed down. He saw her roll down the window and hand out the ID badge. The guard lifted the gate and waved her through. And this was where Trowa would need to get creative. There was no way he could get past that guard. Trowa slowed to a stop and cut the engine. He turned off the road and into the surrounding field, where he stashed the bike among some bushes and trees. Realizing he was not prepared for this at all, he opened the saddlebags, hoping that Catherine had some kind of weapon. To his relief, she had a five-inch pocket knife. Trowa took this and stuck it in the waistband on his jeans. On foot, he crept through the trees to the tall fence that surrounded the perimeter of the complex.

The fence surrounding the building had barbed wire coiled around the top, but Trowa didn't see that as much of a deterrent- the problem was the security cameras stationed every few feet apart. Trowa stayed low to the ground as he assessed the best way to get over the fence. The area was surrounded by trees, which would be an easy way for him to clear the barbed wire, but he'd risk being seen by the cameras. But perhaps this was one of those times when he had to just risk it.

Trowa slunk to the nearest tree that had long enough branches that he'd be able to climb on toward the fence. He leapt to the lowest branch and grabbed onto it. He pulled himself up with ease and swung his legs up. Climbing to his feet, he reached up to the next branch and pulled up, and, just for fun, did a mid-air somersault before landing on the next branch. He grinned to himself.

Back to business.

After climbing up one more branch, he thought he was high enough to clear the fence. Inching out along the branch, he kept moving until he could feel it begin to bend under his weight. The fence was close, and he thought that if he got enough height, he could fly over it and land with a tumble on the other side.

Inching closer and closer, he felt that he was at the very end of the branch where it would continue to hold his weight. He bent his knees until he began to feel unsteady. He took a deep breath and, while slowly exhaling, leapt from the tree. He tucked in his limbs as he spun his body around to give himself more speed. He saw the fence pass underneath him, so he twisted a little more and, as he reached the ground, softened his knees and allowed himself to land on his toes, pushed himself, and rolled over the ground. After clearing the somersault, he jumped back up into a standing position.

 _Nailed it._

There were even more security cameras on this side of the fence, but it was a little too late to worry about them now. Trowa took off toward the building, slinking through the shadows as much as possible. Near the main entrance of the building, Trowa saw Relena's car parked outside. It was empty, which meant she was already inside. There was a guard next to the door, and it looked like he would need to swipe a badge as well.

Trowa crept closer to the guard, though he knew he wasn't being quiet enough. The guard was already looking around, searching for the source of the noise. Trowa only had a moment, so he sprinted toward the guard, and as he skidded to a halt, pressed his hand down on the guard's neck, catching the pressure point that would cause the man to temporarily black out. Under his hand, he felt the guard go limp and crumple to the ground. Trowa stole the man's badge from his belt and swiped in through the door, which unlocked with a loud _click_. He pulled open the door and stepped inside.

Trowa's nose was assaulted by the smell he usually associated with hospitals. It was a very clean smell, almost like bleach. He began to walk down the hallway, mildly surprised at how few people there were walking around the halls. However, it was after 9 p.m. Assuming this place operated like any other business, most people would be at home. There were still cameras everywhere; Trowa assumed that _someone_ knew he had breached the perimeter. It was only a matter of time before guards would come after him.

Instead of worrying about getting caught, Trowa observed his surroundings. All of the rooms along the hall were conference rooms and offices. At the end of the hall, there was a set of double doors that appeared to be locked down with more than just a magnetic lock that could be opened by swiping an ID badge. The curious thing was the sign hanging above the doors that read "Lab."

Trowa couldn't figure out what kind of place this was - a military base? A research facility? And what could Relena have to do with it?

Trowa heard the sound of voices coming through the door of a nearby conference room. He stopped and pressed his ear to the crack of the door. He thought he could make out Relena's voice, but it was too muffled.

Glancing around, he saw a vent in the ceiling that led to the air ducts. With a low grunt, Trowa jumped up and grasped the vent with his fingers. Using his weight, he pulled the vent from its holds. It broke free and when he landed, he held the vent in his hands. Tossing it aside, Trowa jumped up again and grasped a lip in the duct. Getting a good hold on the metal duct, he hoisted himself up and into the dusty metal duct.

He turned in the direction of the conference room and shifted carefully toward its vent. The voices became clearer as he edged closer to the conference room. He slowed his movements so that no one would hear him shifting around above their heads. Eventually, he made it to the light that was shining up through the vent, and he stopped moving. In addition to Relena's voice, he could hear several other, unfamiliar voices, and…

 _Wait._

A man was speaking, and his voice was _very_ familiar. Trowa's eyes widened as he caught sight of him, clad in a white lab coat, a pair of thin, round spectacles perched on the end of his nose.

 _Wufei?!_

* * *

Relena Darlian - disguised as Faye Oaks - sat at the head of a long mahogany conference table, her legs crossed. Normally, investors of the Abbott Memorial Research Institute were not allowed to sit in on their project meetings, but Relena had wheedled her way in, using skills she learned from years as a politician. Against her nature, she was forced to develop a persona that relished in total control of mankind.

She had to pretend to approve of certain divisions of ESUN funding this abominable research. She must appear, at all costs, to be a woman bent on supporting a revolt through the use of abhorrent technologies.

Her real motivations were much more personal.

"What is the status of the specimen?" she asked coolly, her fingers wrapping around the glass of brandy that the institute director had poured for her. Relena swung her eyes to the doctor in charge of the experiments. Despite her own role in this operation, she still had no idea how he'd managed to infiltrate the institute so deeply.

Doctor Feng Zan, aka Preventer Agent Jade- aka Wufei Chang.

"Weapon Z has surpassed all expected results of the nanomachine injections," Wufei said, glancing down at the papers in front of him. "Eyesight has surpassed perfect vision; strength has increased by two-hundred percent; former injuries have healed completely…" He trailed off, flipping through the papers his team had given him. "However, we have found one major problem."

"What is that?" asked Wilhelm Backer, the director of the institute, his fingers laced together in front of his face. Relena saw Wufei glance briefly in her direction, before reading another memo.

"It appears that Weapon Z has lost all of his memories," he said.

Relena fought to suppress a flinch, and her fingers tightened around the brandy glass.

"He has no idea who he was before?" Director Backer asked. Wufei nodded his head.

"All memories have been erased. I have the technicians working to find out why," Wufei said. "We suspect a glitch in the programming of the nanomachines."

Director Backer shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't consider it a setback. Memories can only serve as a hindrance, anyway. He is able to retain current memories and instructions?"

"Yes," Wufei answered. Relena noticed that he was becoming irritated. She silently willed him to calm down. Director Backer rose from his chair and stretched out his arms. He picked up his glass and finished off the last bit of brandy.

"This is all good news to me," he said. "We'll have another meeting in two weeks. I want to bring in a second specimen soon. Perhaps a woman this time."

Relena felt the director's eyes linger on her for a moment, before he excused himself and left the room. The other team members filed out after him, leaving Relena and Wufei behind. Relena stood and picked up her purse. Wufei stared at her, as if expecting her to speak. So she did.

"Why didn't you tell me about the memory loss before?" she asked, her voice a harsh whisper.

"I only just found out," Wufei mumbled, his hands crinkling his papers. "Right before this meeting."

"What are the chances of returning his memories?" she asked, closing the distance between them, wishing desperately that she had the power to intimidate Wufei. He merely glared back at her, matching her fury with disinterest.

"As far as I know, they hooked him up to some bastardized version of the Zero system, but that was before I joined the team. If we could find that file, we might be able to return whatever memories the Zero system saved."

Relena frowned deeply and pressed a hand to her temple. "That sounds absurd." Wufei shrugged.

"I'm only telling you what I know." Relena moved to turn away from him when Wufei reached out and grabbed her arm. "Don't forget, Agent Rain- his recovery is not part of our mission." She glared at him and wrenched her arm away from his grasp and made for the door. "We're here to stop them from creating superhuman weapons."

"You don't have to remind me," she grumbled as she left the conference room.

Relena stormed from the building, failing at keeping her emotions under control. She marched to her convertible, parked at an angle beside Director Backer's Lamborghini. Wrenching the door open, she slipped inside and shoved the keys in the ignition. The engine roared to life. Resisting the urge to throw off her wig, she backed the car up and turned toward the gate. She barely saw the guard wave to her as she sped out of the complex and onto the narrow road that led back to the main roads.

As soon as she was a safe distance from the complex, she threw the wig into the seat beside her and unclipped the ID badge from her leather coat. Wufei's words smoldered in her mind, repeating over and over until she thought she'd go crazy.

 _All memories have been erased._

Relena angrily hit the steering wheel with the palm of her hand and pressed her foot down further against the gas pedal. The Mercedes purred to life under her touch, until she was speeding along the countryside, back toward the orange glow of the city.

* * *

 _A/N: It's been a while since we have come across any 3xR stories on this site, so we thought we would give it a shot. Of course, the rule of thumb in most of those stories is to kill Heero off, so Trowa can swoop in and be Relena's knight in shining armor. Well... we are trying something a little different. Your feedback and follows are most appreciated!_

 _\- The Squad_


	4. Memories

Outside of Relena's townhouse, she forced her foot down on the brake until the Mercedes squealed to a halt along the curb. She gathered up the various items scattered around the inside of the car, shoved them into her purse and climbed out onto the street. A headache throbbed in her temples as she made her way across the sidewalk.

She glanced around. Normally, her street was quiet at this time of night, but somewhere off in the distance, she thought she could hear the sound of an engine. A motorcycle, maybe? Most of her neighborhood was made up of young families- people who had given up dreams of motorcycles long ago. Relena shook her head and walked up the steps to her front door. It was probably just some young person out for a joyride.

Relena unlocked her front door and stepped inside. She discarded her boots on the floor beside the door and tossed her purse to the side. Despite the brick walls of her townhouse, she thought she heard the sound of the motorcycle becoming louder.

"Stop being paranoid," she chided herself as she walked up the stairs to her bedroom.

Relena discarded her clothes on the floor and wrapped herself in her favorite white, silk robe. She walked into the bathroom and ran her hands through her blond hair while staring at herself in the mirror. Her colored contacts had changed her blue eyes to green. She picked up a contact case and quickly popped out the contacts and set them in solution. When she looked back up at her reflection, she looked like herself again. She was pretending to be someone else so often these days, she hardly knew who she was anymore. Where had Relena Darlian gone?

The rumble of the motorcycle drew her from her thoughts. She hurried from the bathroom and slipped up to the window at the front of the townhouse. Peering around the curtain, she looked down at the street.

To her dismay, a motorcycle was parked behind her Mercedes. A tall, familiar-looking form climbed off the bike and pulled off the helmet.

"Trowa," Relena gasped. How long had he been following her? She watched him trot up to her porch and climb the steps. A moment later, she heard him pounding on the front door. "Damn it."

She turned away from the window and hurried down the steps. She threw open the front door, revealing a worried-looking Trowa. "What are you doing here?" she asked, glancing past him up and down the street.

"I wasn't followed," he said. Relena looked up at him, and saw a glimmer of the former Gundam pilot in his eyes. She sighed and stepped back, allowing him to enter the townhouse. She closed the door and locked it, then whirled on him.

"Answer my question," she demanded, planting her hands on her hips. It was then that she realized she wore only her robe. Trowa's cheeks had gone pink, and he appeared to be avoiding eye contact as much as possible. His gaze was trained on a photo that hung on the wall of the hallway. Relena tightened her robe around her waist.

"I had to know what you were up to," he said, finally meeting her eyes. She continued to frown at him, waiting for further explanation. "I thought you might be in danger."

"I told you, I can handle myself," she said, though some of her anger was already slipping away. She couldn't blame him for being worried about her. The last time they had seen each other, she was still being followed around by a gaggle of bodyguards.

"I see that, now," Trowa said. "So." His eyes shifted. "Is Heero this… Weapon Z?"

Relena flinched. So he'd broken into the research institute. That wasn't a surprise.

"How much did you hear?" she asked.

"Enough." He paused, staring at her. She fidgeted. "You told me you haven't heard from him in two years, that he disappeared. Was that a lie?"

Relena shook her head.

"It wasn't a lie. He _did_ disappear. Wufei found out where Heero disappeared to while investigating that research institute. He didn't know at first that Heero had been captured to be used as an experiment. And when Une informed me, I had to get involved…" Tears burned in Relena's eyes. She turned away, trying to hold back the emotions she'd been stifling for so long. Faye Oaks wouldn't cry over a man, and neither should Relena.

But she wasn't _really_ Faye Oaks.

* * *

"You could have told me," Trowa said quietly. He placed a hand on Relena's shoulder, but she didn't turn around. Perhaps she didn't want to let him see her cry. "I could have helped," he added.

"Preventer's been keeping this quiet, since we found out," Relena said, seeming to regain her composure. "We only have a small team working on this. Of course, I wanted to launch an all-out rescue mission as soon as I found out, but I had to be talked down from the ledge…"

Trowa frowned. It was an unusual situation, to be sure, but Preventer had conducted plenty of covert missions in the past, and he had assisted in many himself. He briefly wondered why he wasn't called in for this one, given his talents in espionage and infiltration.

He also wondered why, now that they all knew where Heero was, no one had simply broken him out. _Duo would have a field day…_

He realized then he was unconsciously kneading Relena's shoulder. Her hand came up to rest on his.

"So why don't we break him out?" He voiced his musings. Of course, Trowa knew from what he'd overheard that this was easier said than done, considering Heero now possessed what sounded like superhuman strength and speed. But right now, he cared more about comforting Relena than being technically correct.

She laughed, but it was a bitter sound.

"Like I said, I want to, but I've been told it's a bad idea." She squeezed Trowa's hand. "Wufei says, _his recovery is not priority_." She sighed. "This is about preventing future wrongdoings..."

"Business as usual," Trowa quipped. Relena tilted her head back to look at him, her blue eyes a swirling storm. "Sometimes I think Preventer spends too long investigating when they could go ahead and act," he added. Even if he did understand why this was sometimes necessary, he needed her to know where he stood on the matter. And he wanted to be clear that he was on her side.

"You and me both," she murmured. "There _has_ to be a better way."

"I'm sure there is," he said, as soothingly as he could manage. "We'll find it."

"You'll help?" Her eyes were hopeful, her voice thick with emotion.

"Of course." Trowa nodded once. "Whatever you need."

"What I need right now…" Relena stepped away from him and angled her head toward the kitchen. "... is another stiff drink."

He nodded his agreement. "I'll join you."

The scotch Relena unearthed from her liquor cabinet was stiff, all right, and ancient. Trowa never drank much whiskey, but he quickly adjusted to the bitter taste. They sat curled up on Relena's sofa and, as the night inched closer to morning, so did they to one another. Relena's robe had also loosened, to the point where Trowa saw more of her skin than he had in any of her previous ensembles. Not that he could complain.

When she snuggled up beside him, he lifted his arm and rested it on her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on his. Her robe slipped open, enough to reveal the curve of her right breast, and Trowa's eyes lingered for longer than perhaps they should have. He took another long swig of his whiskey, willing himself to relax.

"Why," he wondered out loud, "did you come to my show tonight, when you had all this going on?"

Relena arched her back and nestled closer to him before answering.

"I didn't want to turn down your thoughtful invitation. And, anyway, I needed the distraction." She peered up at him through long, dark lashes that were so full, Trowa knew they had to be fake. Like the kind his sister wore for their shows. But they framed Relena's eyes perfectly and somehow made them look even bluer.

"And," she added, tracing a finger on his chest, fingering the fabric of his shirt. "I did want to see you. I assumed you wanted to see me, too..."

 _What about Heero?_ The elephant in the room crept into his mind as it had during their dinner earlier. If it were a real elephant, he would know how to handle it. But he had a feeling, the way Relena was behaving with him, that she didn't expect to reunite with Heero anytime soon. Trowa knew Relena well enough to know of her unwavering devotion to Gundam Pilot 01. And if she truly believed he would be coming back to her, there was no way she would be cuddled up on her couch with another man, wearing next to nothing. At the very least, it seemed uncharacteristic of her.

Despite that, Trowa was wondered why he wasn't already kissing her. Normally decorum would dictate that he refrain from giving in to his desires. But he had no idea what the right thing was, in this instance. Everything was blurred, especially his judgment.

Her soft voice wrested him from his thoughts. "You didn't answer my question."

"Hm?" He forced himself to look away from her cleavage again. Which was nearly impossible, since it was painfully obvious she was not wearing a bra.

Relena flushed and tore her own gaze away. Trowa cleared his throat and straightened up in his seat, hoping she wouldn't notice he needed to make adjustments, before his arousal became apparent.

"I don't think you fully answered _my_ question," he said. "Why, when Une first called you, didn't you rush out of there? Hadn't you been waiting to find out Heero's whereabouts?" He was curious about the mission but also wanted to understand why Relena seemed to be able to turn her emotions on and off, with almost soldier-like precision.

"Oh, _that_ I already knew." She flapped a hand. "Wufei infiltrated Abbott months ago and Une let me know as soon as he found Heero. What I didn't know was how he had done it. Une was calling me to tell me that I had successfully gotten clearance to attend tonight's board meeting, and that Wufei was going to be present as well. Tonight was the first chance we've had to compare notes, if you will."

Trowa frowned. "I gathered that much from crashing your meeting. What I didn't understand was the get-up..." Relena looked at him quizzically.

"The get-up? Oh, you mean my outfit?" She grinned slyly. "I know, it doesn't look like the sort of thing a business investor would wear. You see, _they_ think I'm an international spy interested in developing their 'weapon' for my own nefarious purposes. And that I'll pay big bucks to get my hands on it."

Trowa's frown deepened. "I suppose it makes more sense than sending Relena Darlian in to investigate on behalf of ESUN. But haven't you already been doing undercover work for the Preventers?"

"As Faye Oaks, yes." Relena's eyes glittered. "I love her."

"She's not real, you know," Trowa said as he rubbed her shoulder.

"Of course she is." Relena rolled her eyes before taking a sip of scotch. "She's me, silly."

"Right. Of course." Trowa wondered if Relena was adopting the identity, the way he had Trowa Barton.

"She makes me stronger," Relena continued, moving to set her empty glass on the coffee table. The move severed their embrace, which Trowa found disappointing.

"You were strong already," he noted. "You've always been strong, as Relena Peacecraft _or_ Relena Darlian."

Her eyes darkened. "Relena Peacecraft is retired, and Relena Darlian can't do nearly as much as she thinks she can." She reached for the bottle of scotch and refilled her glass with trembling hands.

"I disagree," Trowa said evenly. "Relena with either surname could lead an army, if she wanted. At the very least, you could run for President of ESUN and win, because people believe in your vision."

To his surprise, Relena snorted. "My _vision_? You mean the idyllic worldview I latched onto as a lovestruck teenager?" She scoffed. "The whole reason I got involved in politics was because I wanted to make the world a better place for _him,_ and the rest of you Gundam pilots. Mostly for him, though. No offense." She paused to sip her drink.

"You fell in love," said Trowa, leaning forward to refill his own glass. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Seems like a pretty shallow reason to start a career." Relena threw back the remaining liquid in her glass and set it down on her coffee table.

Trowa angled his body to face her, resting his elbows on his knees. "Love isn't shallow, Relena. It's something that connects people. You took it and harnessed it to benefit the greater good. Few people are capable of doing such a thing."

Relena looked at him wordlessly and wide-eyed for a moment before lowering her gaze to her lap. "You make me sound far less selfish than I actually am. But the truth is, the longer I'm apart from Heero, the more I lose my resolve to help other people, or even continue in politics." She sighed deeply, her shoulders heaving, as if she had unloaded some great secret. "It sounds awful, I know."

"No, it doesn't," Trowa responded calmly, moving his arm to rub her back. "You've been doing this for a long time. It's difficult to stay motivated and easy to lose heart. Anyone else probably would have given up, long ago."

Relena's eyes misted as she nodded. "I… I just don't think I can go on like this. Not if he's lost to me forever."

Trowa frowned. "You don't think Preventer will bring him back?"

"I don't know." Relena began dabbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. "I want to keep hoping, but it doesn't seem likely. At least, not according to Wufei."

"Maybe he was referring more to recovering Heero's memories, versus his person," Trowa suggested.

"Maybe," she whispered. But her eyes were shrouded in doubt.

Trowa continued rubbing her back in slow circles. "I lost my memories, you know."

"Yes, I heard." Relena smiled at him, an expression tinged with pity, but he didn't mind. At least she was smiling again. "Did you ever regain any of them?"

"Some. Here and there." Trowa shrugged one shoulder. "But there are some parts of my life that are just… blank."

"I'm sorry." Relena's tone matched the sorrow in her eyes as she reached over and grasped his hand. "That must be so hard."

"It's all right." Trowa squeezed her hand in return. "As the saying goes, you can't miss what you never had. And, anyway…" He smiled sadly. "I'm sure there are plenty of things I'd rather not remember."

"I understand, I think." Relena's eyes held a faraway glimmer. "Most of my early childhood is blank, too." She made a sweeping motion with her free hand, the other still clutching his. "I was old enough to remember my birth parents when they were killed, but I just don't. And I don't remember being adopted by the Darlians, either." She leaned forward so that their knees were touching. "But I seem to remember some things from infancy, like learning to walk, although I picture my adoptive mother instead of my birth mother." She shook her head, frowning. "It's odd."

"Your mind blocked the trauma and supplanted it with something else." Trowa rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "Like rewriting history."

"Guess so." Relena exhaled and leaned back against the couch cushions, keeping her hand on Trowa's. She rested her other arm along the back of the sofa and leaned her chin into her hand, turning her head to gaze out the window behind them. "I don't know…"

Her blond hair shone silver in the moonlight, the silk of her robe shimmering. Once again, Trowa's eyes were drawn to where the deep v-neck of her robe revealed a tantalizing amount of skin, which he imagined was impossibly soft to the touch. She looked so beautiful and vulnerable in the moment, it took all of Trowa's self-control to keep himself from taking her in his arms and kissing her. Even though her hand was on his, and he was almost certain she would consent to such a gesture, he still couldn't ignore the gnawing thought that she wasn't his to touch.

He shifted in his seat again, wondering if she was even aware of his struggle.

"Well," he said, trying for a subject change, "what's past is past. We can always make new memories."

He didn't expect his flippant words to affect Relena on a deeper level, but she turned her head back toward him, looking at him as if he had said something profound.

"You're right, Trowa." She nodded resolutely. "You're absolutely right."

And then she launched herself into his arms, flinging her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Trowa wasn't prepared for the sudden contact, but caught her and held her tightly against him.

"It's all right, Relena." He patted her back in comfort, even though she wasn't crying. He wondered if she might, but she remained still in his arms. Trowa kept his hands on her back, once again enamored with her flimsy robe, enjoying the feel of the silk beneath his fingers, wondering more about her skin underneath.

When Relena at last pulled away, tears rimmed her eyes and her cheeks were flushed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tearing her gaze away, half-covering her face with her hand. She made a sound that was between a gasp and a sob. "I'm such a mess…"

Trowa's protective instincts swelled in his chest. He brought his hand to her face and carefully pried hers away.

"Come here," he said softly, taking her hand and pulling her gently toward him. Relena lifted her tear-streaked face to look at him, her eyes full of questions, but turned her body so that she was facing him fully. Trowa closed the small distance between them, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I told you, I'm here for you." He closed his eyes as he said it, wanting to savor their newfound connection. "Whatever you need."

Her voice hitched, but she managed to whisper, "Thank you, Trowa," just before their lips met.

Trowa couldn't even tell who had leaned forward and completed the movement first, but it didn't matter. His heart thudded wildly as he focused on the feel of her lips against his. Soft, supple, just as he'd imagined. As he imagined other parts of her would be…

He let out a quiet groan as their lips parted, then met again. He brought his hands up to cup her face and deepened the kiss. He half-expected her to pull back, but she welcomed it, parting her lips so he could push his tongue inside. As he enjoyed their interplay, his hands drifted down to her neck, massaging lightly along her collarbone. He pushed the top of her robe back enough to reveal silken shoulders, which he took time caressing before moving on to other places he yearned to explore. But there was time. He didn't want to rush. He wanted to relish every moment of this memory in the making.

* * *

 _A/N: YAS. We went there. If you're enjoying this story, please give it a follow and/or favorite and review! Thank you to the 3xR lovelies who have come out of the woodwork so far (you know who you are, Team Trowa!)._

 _\- The Glam Squad_


	5. Compromised

Bright sunlight and the sound of birds chirping lured Relena out of her languid sleep. For a moment, she groaned into her pillow as pressure squeezed her head on either side, like a vice. Eventually she sat up and stretched, wondering why she felt sore. Then she remembered, and her heart plummeted to her stomach. She looked over at what any normal girl would probably flip for: a handsome, half-dressed acrobat in her bed.

Relena carefully lifted the duvet, caught glimpse of her own unclothed body, and flushed scarlet. At first she'd thought it had all been a feverish, forbidden dream. But the evidence was right there in front of her; she had spent the night getting acquainted with Trowa Barton, on a much more personal basis.

She flung her blanket aside, rose quietly and tiptoed as softly as she could across the room, into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stepped inside, hoping the stream of water would reroute her thoughts. Instead, his name thrummed in her head, like a heartbeat.

 _Trowa. Trowa. Trowa._

She soaked her hair, hardly believing she had caved in to her little crush, just like that. What on Earth had come over her? She knew she'd had a bit to drink, but didn't think it was enough to impair her judgment. She'd woken up with a slight headache, but it didn't feel like the pounding kind she'd get from a hangover, so she couldn't have had _that_ much. Then again, she had built up quite a tolerance to liquor over the past few years…

And she had to admit, as she soaped herself up, recalling his hands gliding over her, she had long harbored an attraction to Trowa. He always had this sexy, mysterious air about him. Even though she knew they were around the same age, she'd always thought he'd seemed a little older, worldlier. No doubt it was the street smarts he'd gained as a young mercenary, and then as a circus performer. _And, about that…_ Relena smiled, thinking fondly of his masculine form. It was impossible not to marvel at his taut physique and athletic abilities. And, now, she had gotten to admire those features up close.

Another sensation washed over her as she showered. Guilt. She tried to force it away as she rinsed off the soap. She told herself what she had done was perfectly acceptable, given her circumstances. Heero had disappeared long ago, and she had done her best to soldier on without him. All alone, night after night, watching her phone, her window, her door. Waiting and praying for a call. A sign. Anything. And then, once she finally learned what had become of him, being informed, coldly, that the Heero she knew and loved was lost to her. Maybe even forever.

Perhaps by giving herself over to Trowa, she had given up on Heero prematurely, but then she couldn't see herself ever giving up. Not completely. What had transpired with Trowa… Well, she wasn't sure. She thought of the tender looks and kisses he'd given her throughout the night, and shivered. It was fun, but was that all it was? She would have to tell him not to expect much more, she decided. She could be firm on that. She would have to be.

Relena dressed quietly, taking extra time to press her work clothes and style her hair, turning herself back into the impeccably put-together Foreign Minister Darlian she usually was. Last night, perhaps unbeknownst to Trowa, she had been channeling more of Faye Oaks…

Once she was dressed, she padded down to the kitchen and started the coffee. She normally took hers to go, but decided to use her under-utilized French press that morning, just for him. She knew he favored a strong brew. Once it was ready, she brought a steaming mug up to her bedroom, and perched on the end of the bed. After a moment, it did the trick. Trowa opened his eyes and turned his head toward the wafting scent.

"Good morning." She smiled and pushed the mug toward him. Trowa sat up, the blanket slipping from his chest to puddle around his hips. Relena glanced away, blushing as she caught sight of those finely-tuned acrobatic muscles. Evidently, his acrobatic skills were useful in several areas...

"Thank you." He grabbed the handle and smiled gratefully at her before taking a sip. "That's good java," he said. His long bangs obscured one eye, and Relena fought the urge to smooth them off of his face.

"I'm glad you like it," she replied softly. She couldn't help letting her eyes flick over his bare chest again. Her cheeks turned pink when their eyes met. He clearly noticed she'd been staring.

"Look, Trowa, I…" His smile faltered, and his eyes hardened slightly. "I'm sorry." She giggled out of sheer nervousness. "I hope this isn't going to be weird."

Trowa frowned but calmly sipped his coffee before speaking. "It doesn't have to be."

"It's just... I know I'm not in the best place right now," she sighed. "I had a lot to drink last night and wasn't thinking clearly, and…" She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, her fingers twitching with nervous energy.

"Relena." Trowa gave her a knowing look and set the mug down on her nightstand. "You don't have to make excuses. It happened. It's fine. We don't have to do anything more about it, if you don't want to." His green eyes glittered. "But there's something you should know."

She arched both brows. "What's that?"

He leaned forward and took her hands in his. "I like you," he said matter-of-factly. Her heart flipped. "I'd like for this to be more than a one-time thing. If that's not what you want, though, it's okay."

Relena blinked, staring at him. Her earlier anticipation of the obligatory conversation faded away as Trowa released one of her hands and picked up his mug.

"I know you're dealing with a lot right now. And anyway, my job keeps me traveling most months of the year," he added, catching her gaze for just a moment before looking away again. "But, in the meantime, if I can be a friend to you, while I'm here…"

Relena's mouth opened to respond, but no words came to mind. She wasn't sure, exactly, what Trowa was offering her. So. He remained a mystery to her, after all.

Her phone on the nightstand vibrated, and the stock ringtone cut through the awkward silence. Relena jumped at the chance to redirect the conversation and picked up her phone. It was Une.

"Yes?" Relena asked into the phone. She listened for a moment while Une asked Relena to join her at the Preventer headquarters that morning to discuss the details of the previous night's meeting. Relena blushed, thinking of a different meeting altogether. "Okay. I'll be there soon." She hung up and glanced at Trowa, who was still drinking his coffee.

"I need to go see Une," she said. Trowa nodded, set the cup aside, and rose from the bed. The blanket fell all the way to the floor, revealing his boxers. Relena glanced away, turning her attention back to her phone.

"I'll drive," Trowa offered, and pulled on his jeans.

* * *

Trowa guided his motorcycle into Relena's reserved parking space at the Preventers headquarters, knowing full well it would look out of place there, considering what the Foreign Minister-turned-agent usually drove. But Relena had eagerly agreed when he suggested taking it, and he had enjoyed their brief ride through downtown Brussels. Her hands gripped his chest the whole time, conjuring up new, pleasant memories Trowa preferred to keep at the forefront of his mind.

He was also grateful for the silent ride, courtesy of the noisy bike. He could tell Relena was anxious, and wanted to avoid any further talk of what their relationship status may or may not be. All he knew was that he had zero regrets over sleeping with her; he had hoped she'd feel the same. Given everything that was happening with Heero, he also knew better than to expect anything permanent.

But if Trowa could indulge his desires, he would be returning to her bed, and soon. It had been a while since he'd had the luxury of sex in an actual bed, and hers was quite the upgrade from the cot he kept in his trailer. His nomadic lifestyle meant the encounters he had, when he had them, happened on the road. But his collection of past flings were nothing compared to what he'd shared with Relena. For one thing, they already had a connection; if Trowa allowed himself to go there, he could see himself falling for her. Hard.

For now, he focused on escorting Relena to her meeting, and serving whatever role she saw fit for him. He could play consort to the former queen, if that's what she wanted; he was already a court jester of sorts.

As they approached the Preventer lobby, Trowa fumbled in his wallet for his Preventer ID card. He usually kept it stashed away, since he rarely went to the headquarters building. He found it tucked between two other cards and swiped to let himself in the building, trailing behind Relena.

Inside, a few people greeted Relena with nods and waves, which she returned. Trowa caught up to her and fell into step beside her. "You know a lot of these people?" Trowa asked, glancing around the lobby. Relena shrugged her shoulders.

"They know me. I don't really know them," she said, her voice flat. Trowa blinked, but said nothing as she led the way to the elevators. Relena pressed the button for the floor where Une's office was located, and they rose up in silence; Relena appeared to be typing something frantically on her phone, the little _clicks_ of her phone's keyboard overlapping into one continuous sound.

The elevator halted and the doors opened. The space looked different than Trowa remembered; Une must have gotten the floor remodeled. Before, the space simply opened up to her office. Now, there was a carpeted lobby, with two assistants sitting at their own desks outside a large, wooden door. Relena nodded to the assistants.

"She's expecting you," the one on the right said. They walked to the door, and Relena grabbed the handle and pushed it open.

Une was inside, sitting at her desk. It had been a while since Trowa had last seen her; she looked older, and he thought he could see a streak of gray running through her brown hair. She looked up with tired eyes.

"Good morning," she said without much emotion. When her gaze landed on Trowa, she frowned. "Barton, what are you doing here?"

"He's here because of me," Relena said. Une's eyebrows rose in question, waiting for further explanation. "I… I asked him to cover me while I went to the Abbott meeting." Trowa blinked, but he tried to hide his surprise. She was lying to cover for him following her.

Une grunted and stepped out from behind her desk. "How much do you know?" she asked as she walked to a sideboard. Crystal decanters stood in a neat row behind a line of crystal tumblers. Une picked up the decanter on the end and poured herself a glass of something amber-colored.

"He knows everything," Relena answered. Une leaned against the front of her desk and sighed.

"Welcome to the mission, then," she said with resignation, and shifted her gaze to Relena. "How did the meeting go?"

"Do you want to wait for Wufei?" Relena asked. Une shrugged and took a sip from her glass.

"I tend to get different stories from the both of you," she said. "What's your side?"

Relena quickly recounted the events of the previous night. Trowa noticed some hesitation in her voice when she reached the part of her story about Heero's memories. Une brought her glass to her lips and tapped the glass with a fingernail.

"Lost his memories? Interesting," she murmured. Beside him, Relena fidgeted, but added nothing else to the story. Une took another sip when the door to her office opened, and Wufei strode inside. Trowa noticed that Wufei landed a hard expression on him the moment their eyes met.

"What are you doing here?" Wufei asked Trowa, joining their conversation. The atmosphere of tension and fury surrounding Wufei was almost too much for Trowa to handle. Even Relena shifted uneasily on her feet.

"He has apparently been informed about the mission by Agent Rain," Une said.

Wufei's mouth was set in a hard line. "You know," he said to Trowa, "I was notified that we had an intruder last night. I had to play dumb when I was confronted about it."

Trowa failed to see why that was _his_ problem, and simply shrugged. "Sorry for causing unnecessary tension in your workplace."

Wufei's lip curled into a snarl. "I'm glad you find it amusing. The fact is, I've been embedded in this investigation for months. To have _you_ try to muscle your way in at the eleventh hour is, frankly, insulting."

Trowa smirked, suppressing the urge to burst out laughing. He found it hard to take Wufei seriously when the man was so cantankerous. Relena, however, gasped and whirled on Wufei.

"That's not fair!" she said, pointing a finger at him indignantly. "Trowa only found out about this because he followed me." Trowa cringed, but still couldn't help but admire the way she immediately rose to his defense. Unfortunately, Une's eyes snapped to Relena, having caught the little lie from before.

"And how did he manage to do that?" Wufei folded his arms and matched Relena's icy glare, not noticing Une's rising irritation. "Clearly you left yourself open. But how and why you two got involved is more than I care to know..."

"Good, because it's none of your business," Trowa said coolly. Une arched a single brow while Relena flushed. "And anyway, I'm curious to know whose side you're actually on."

"Are you serious?" Wufei released a labored sigh and turned to Une. "Commander, would you mind explaining to Barton, once _again_ , why-"

"Why you're comfortable conducting experiments on your old friend?" Trowa felt Relena tense beside him. He ignored the instinct to put his arm around her and shield her from the discussion, but thought perhaps that would be going overboard, given the fact that she had probably already heard the worst.

Wufei grunted. "Remind me when _you_ became such an expert..."

"If you'll remind me when we started leaving behind our own," Trowa countered. Relena's eyes widened. Une cleared her throat.

"Agent Seed," she cautioned. He turned his head at the use of his codename, something he hadn't heard in a while. Relena's face paled.

" _That's_ your codename?" she hissed. Trowa didn't answer, keeping his gaze trained on Une.

"This isn't how we normally prefer to do things," Une said evenly, her features impassive. "But this particular mission is complicated. Heero became a victim of something far bigger than ourselves."

Beside him, Relena winced. Trowa shot her a glance and she met his eyes briefly. His heart wrenched over the sorrow he saw there. It didn't seem fair for someone so beautiful to be so broken. Someone who had become so important to him. He truly felt she was _his_ now, however misguided the thought may be; his inclination to protect her from any and everything was strong, whether she needed him or not. He turned back to face Une.

"Why put Relena through this?"

"She's the one who insisted on being part of this," Wufei cut in, frowning at Une. "We have full-time agents for this level of work, you know." He looked pointedly at Trowa.

"That's enough," Une sighed. "Both agents Seed and Rain have more than proven their worth, Agent Jade." Trowa held back a snort. Une met the gaze of each of them before pressing on. "In spite of personal feelings about this mission, we cannot stray from our plan. Wufei is right that he has been working for months to secure his position within the research institute, and Relena is on the trail of both the institute and the members of the ESUN behind this… _research_. Trowa, if you're joining the team, you are forbidden from compromising the mission in any way."

Trowa's body went rigid, and Wufei smirked. Une's insinuation was unfair- he had no intentions of compromising the mission. He merely wanted to make sure that Relena would be all right. But he swallowed his pride and nodded.

"Of course, Commander."

Once again, Une met the gaze of each person. "Further instructions will be sent along later this evening." She threw back the last of whatever she'd been drinking during the meeting and set the glass on the edge of her desk. "You're dismissed."

Trowa saw Wufei throw a dirty look in his direction, but he said nothing else and left the office. Relena turned away from Une and gripped Trowa's bicep, pulling him toward the door.

"Let's go. I have to get to the ESUN building," she said. Trowa nodded and followed her out.

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you to all the readers and reviewers so far! We hope to see more 3xR people emerge... we know you're out there! Happy Sunday Funday!_

 _\- The Squad_


	6. Distraction

Relena watched Trowa closely as they entered the elevator together, stepping behind him as he pressed the button for the lobby. The air seemed to crinkle, and she realized it wasn't the thin air inside the elevator, but the static between them.

"Did you mean what you said back there?" she asked quietly. "About Heero?" She cocked her head and waited while he glanced back at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're still willing to help me bring him back? Even after…" She flushed and lowered her eyes. _Even after last night..._

"Of course," Trowa answered, his face unreadable. "As I'm sure you already know, it's been a long time since I've seen or talked to Heero. But even though we've lost touch through the years, I'll always consider him a friend." His eyes hardened. "And now that I know what's happening, I can't ignore it. He needs our help."

Relena's composure slipped. She nodded, biting her lip, blinking back tears. Trowa placed a hand on her arm, his green eyes full of compassion.

"Thank you," she whispered, as the elevator doors opened. "You don't know what that means to me."

Trowa gave her a lingering look before stepping out into the lobby. "I think I do."

Relena wondered how he could, unless he had loved and lost someone himself. Then again, during the war, almost everyone had. She walked briskly to keep up with him as they exited the building and headed for the parking lot.

"Were you ever in love?" She tossed the question at him. It seemed safe, out there in the open. He turned to look at her and slowed his steps.

"Once," was all he said before turning his back, leading the way to his motorcycle.

Relena couldn't help but wonder who, pushing down feelings of jealousy. It was obviously a kneejerk reaction, since they'd just spent the night together. Even if she didn't feel _that way_ about him, she was bound to feel slightly possessive of him, now. It was only natural, an involuntary chemical response.

She wondered why Trowa didn't seem to be jealous of Heero at all… unless maybe he really _was_ looking for a friends-with-benefits situation. Relena's face burned at the thought. She wasn't sure if she could handle that, or if she even wanted to try. She supposed that was what she and Heero had done - no formal arrangement - but it had always bothered her. She had always wanted more; he had always held back.

 _But Trowa?_

Relena watched as he sat down on the bike, then handed her the only helmet he had. She took it from him and fastened it on before sitting down behind him, cautiously wrapping her arms around his middle.

He had told her exactly what he wanted. It was refreshing, and yet unnerving, to encounter a man who seemed to say precisely what was on his mind. Nothing more, nothing less. It was tempting to ponder, if she chose to embark on this new path, where it might lead.

The bike roared to life, and Relena tightened her hold.

* * *

Trowa pulled up his bike in front of the ESUN building, and Relena hopped off, pulling off the helmet and handing it to him.

"Thanks for the ride," she said, her cheeks flushed. Trowa couldn't help but chuckle at how that sounded. Her blush darkened. "Anyway." She tipped her head at him. "Have a good show tonight." As she spoke, she took a quick glance around them. A few people in business suits appeared to gaping at them before turning away, out of politeness. Trowa knew, once again, the motorcycle was out of place, and so was he.

But he ignored the passersby to smile at the object of his affection, as if spending the night with her and taking her to work in the morning were part of his daily routine.

"Thanks," he said. "Have a good day at work. Busy day ahead?"

He wasn't sure why he couldn't just stop talking and drive away, like she clearly wanted him to. Something about her kept the words rolling, which was unusual for him. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced over her shoulder again.

"Oh, I just have a string of meetings, as usual." She held up her wrist and checked her watch. "And since I'm getting a late start, I'll probably stay late tonight." Trowa nodded.

"Well, good luck." He wanted to say more but didn't want to hold her up any longer. This wasn't the most awkward post-coital goodbye he'd had, but he thought perhaps the tension would ease if he could kiss her. His gaze fell to her lips. She had kissed him on the cheek in parting last night, and that was _before_ they'd had sex. But now they were in front of her workplace, not his, and hers was a different kind of circus. Trowa let his desire dwindle.

"Thank you." Relena turned back toward the steps leading up to the large, glass building.

"If you need anything," he called after her, "you know where to find me."

"Right." She turned back to look at him once more, and smiled faintly. "Take care."

Was that it? She seemed so cold and reserved now. Trowa didn't like how Relena seemed to turn her emotions on and off like a faucet. But he also knew he couldn't blame her for trying to grapple with her unfortunate twist of fate. He only hoped he could be a healing balm for her, if she'd let him.

He raised a hand to her in parting. "Be seeing you, then."

The clouds in her eyes seemed to part, at least for the moment, and she gave him a little wave. "'Bye, Trowa."

He waited until she'd disappeared inside the building, then sped off toward the circus.

* * *

Relena didn't look back when the doors of the ESUN building closed behind her. She heard Trowa's motorcycle speed away, the engine's roar fading as he drove further and further away. Relena approached the bank of elevators and jammed a finger on the "up" button and stepped back to wait.

Two middle-aged men entered the lobby and stopped near Relena. Their suits were pristine and crisp. Relena recognized the style as being a newer suit, likely by one of the more expensive designers. Their eyes hovered on Relena for a moment. She felt a chill crawl up her spine and into her hairline. She looked away when the elevator bell chimed. The silver doors slid open, and Relena stepped inside. The men followed in behind her.

They said nothing to her, but whispered to each other in one corner of the elevator. Relena had to force herself to relax. These men barely knew her, but she knew them. She knew everything about them. Or rather, _Faye_ knew everything about them.

Jonathan Myers and Paul Moreau. Both ministers within the ESUN. Both with ties to the Abbott Memorial Research Institute, financial contributors with too much interest in the concept of reprogramming human beings. Faye had some major suspicions about their intentions. Relena determined that their current activities were linked to several other departments in the ESUN, all privately interested in alternative warfare methods.

The elevator slid to a halt on Relena's floor. She excused herself as she passed by the two men, leaving them to their whispers. Her heels tapped on the floor as she made her way to her office. As she passed through the door, she pushed away her concerns to focus on maintaining the peace.

The day passed by in a productive blur. She was thinking about wrapping up her activities for the time being, and hitting the gym, when her phone rang. Not Relena's phone. Faye's phone.

She pulled the phone from her purse and checked the caller ID. _Dr. Feng Zan_. With a deep frown, Relena answered the phone call.

"What is it?" she asked before Wufei could speak.

"I'm just calling to let you know we're planning to run a series of tests on the specimen tonight." Wufei's detached delivery was enough to make Relena shiver.

"Is that so?" she asked calmly. "What sorts of tests?"

"Mostly measuring strength and agility. We're seeing how he continues to respond to treatment," Wufei continued in a cold, systematic tone. "We're pleased with his progress, so far."

"Good," Relena breathed as her mind worked to read between the lines. She knew there was probably more that Wufei wanted to tell her, but couldn't.

"It's remarkable, really," he added, his voice perking up slightly. "From the data I've seen over the past year, it's amazing he even survived what they initially put him through." Relena drew in a ragged breath at his words. "But I'll have you know that we've managed to tone down some of the more archaic testing methods since I came onboard, in favor of more humane practices."

Relena released the breath she'd been holding, grateful for the small piece of information. "I appreciate that," she said softly, even though she was supposed to be Faye, in the moment, and shouldn't care. But she knew Wufei would have anticipated her honest reaction. "Can I see him?"

"No," Wufei barked immediately. "You don't have the clearance and even if you did, it wouldn't be smart."

"Right." Relena clucked her tongue. "But you'll continue to keep me in the loop, I trust?"

"Of course," he answered. "And there's one other thing."

"Yes?" Relena's heart drummed loudly in her ears.

"As we previously discussed, I'm looking into whether our replication of the Zero system could, in fact, be used to restore memory and/or persona, in this particular case." Relena sucked in another sharp breath.

"And?"

"And, it does look promising. However, I can't guarantee that we'll be able to utilize the technology again anytime soon. We would have to have very good reason and right now, restoring the subject's memories would only interfere with our cause."

"How so?" Relena glowered into the phone, newly irritated.

Wufei paused before lowering his voice. "He'd go mad, Relena." She stiffened at the use of her name.

"No, he wouldn't," she insisted. "He's much stronger than that."

"Right." Wufei chuckled darkly. "That's exactly the problem; we're dealing with a superhuman weapon here. There's no telling how he'd respond if he knew exactly what had been done to him. What he's lost."

Relena shuddered. "He has a right to know."

"We'll worry about that some other time," Wufei drolled. Relena could tell she was trying his patience. "I merely called to inform you of the next step, out of courtesy. But I should be going."

"All right," Relena sighed into the phone. "Thank you, for that."

She ended the call with Wufei and sank back against her desk chair, processing both the good and bad news. On the one hand, Heero was alive, and doing as well as could be expected. On the other hand, his memories were still gone, but there was a chance they could be restored. She thought of Trowa and what he had gone through, and the fact that he had recovered, and her hopes lifted. And then her thoughts wandered to other things she had learned about the other former Gundam pilot over the past twenty-four hours. She had gone from knowing a little about him to knowing him on a much deeper level, and it was jarring to think about in her waking hours.

Relena pressed her hands to her temples as lust and shame competed for her conscience. She forced the guilt away, willing herself to relax and fixate on pleasant things, welcoming the distraction. She closed her eyes and lost herself for a moment before rerouting her attention to her work.

* * *

When Trowa arrived back at the circus, there was a very annoyed redhead waiting for him in his trailer.

"Well _there_ you are."

"Hey, Cathy." He tipped his head at his sister, as if nothing were amiss. She leapt up from where she sat on his primitive cot and immediately whirled on him, sending her curly bobbed hair swishing.

"Trowa Barton!" she screeched, her cheeks matching her hair. "You'd better start explaining yourself."

Trowa blinked at her. Despite the few years that separated them, Catherine had always taken on more of a mothering role. But he was in his late twenties and felt no need to explain himself to his thirty-something sister.

"What do you want to know?" he sighed, raking a hand through his hair, which was slick with the gel he'd used to style it for the show the night before. He needed a shower, but first he needed to placate his sister enough to get rid of her.

"Well, for starters…" Catherine folded her arms across her chest. "Did you enjoy your little joyride? On _my_ bike?"

"I did, thanks." Trowa sank down on the cot, unlaced and pulled off his shoes. Catherine gaped at him.

"You could have at least _asked_ me first."

"I gassed it up on my way back here. That okay?"

Catherine shook her head and released an exasperated sigh. "Next time just text me or something. I thought you were with Relena, in her car?"

"I was."

"So what, then, were you trying to impress her or something?"

Trowa smiled. Of course, he couldn't tell Catherine the truth. Not fully. "Something like that."

"Well, apparently it did the trick." Catherine gave an exaggerated eyeroll. "I'm assuming that's why you were out all night…"

"Correct," said Trowa, without elaborating any further. His sister's eyes went wide.

"Wow… I knew you liked her, but really? On the first date?"

"I don't know if I would call it a date, exactly." Trowa gave an impassive shrug.

"Oh, Trowa…" Catherine looked momentarily horrified. "I mean, I can't say I'm surprised, given your track record, but Relena? I didn't think she was that kind of girl…"

"Neither did I," said Trowa. An involuntary smile tugged at his lips. "Not that it bothers me…"

"Ew." His sister waved both hands in front of her face. "Spare me the details, please." Trowa just chuckled. Catherine rolled her eyes again before giving him a sharp, expectant look. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"When are you seeing her again?"

"Oh." Trowa frowned, realizing he and Relena hadn't made any arrangements. The way they'd left things earlier, he still wasn't sure what she wanted. He had made his intentions clear; he wanted to see her again, as long as he was in the area. Of course, he wanted more than that, but he sensed Relena's hesitation and didn't want to push her away. So far, he planned to leave the ball in her court. "I don't know."

"Well, you want to keep seeing her, right? Just ask her out again." Catherine shrugged one shoulder, as if things were that simple. But, then, she had no idea.

"Yeah," said Trowa, his mind whirring with the new reality he had unwittingly dropped into. Faye Oaks. Abbott Industries. Heero.

"Aw, come on, bro… don't make that mopey face." Catherine plopped down beside him and slung an arm around his shoulders. "I mean, if she let you stay over, she _must_ like you. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

"Right," Trowa answered his sister, but inwardly he scoffed. _Nothing to worry about…_

* * *

Hours later, after rehearsing for that night's show, Trowa was on his way to his trailer to take a short break before dinner when his phone blared with an incoming call. He recognized the number as one of many Preventer lines.

"Hello."

"Agent Seed, this is Gold."

Trowa knew it was Une as soon as he heard her speak, but greeted her nevertheless. "Yes, Commander. What can I do for you?"

"As promised, I have your instructions."

"I'm listening." Trowa glanced around before stepping inside his trailer and shutting the door. Not that he had to be especially discreet around his circus family; they all knew of his various "side jobs," even if he never gave anyone specific details.

"This concerns Agent Rain," said Une. "Is she with you?"

"No," Trowa answered as he sat down on his cot. "I dropped her off after our meeting this morning."

"At her office, I presume?"

"Yes."

"Good. She's probably still there, then."

"You need to get in touch with her?" Trowa frowned against the phone, wondering what this had to do with him.

"I need you to keep an eye on her," Une said. Trowa's eyes widened, but it was an audio call only, so Une wouldn't see his reaction.

"You mean… like a bodyguard?" Trowa brow crinkled in confusion. Relena had led him to believe she was more than capable of handling herself these days. "Hasn't Re… _Rain_ had sufficient training?"

"I shouldn't have to remind you, Agent Seed, that I don't need to give justification for my orders," Une snapped.

"Sorry," Trowa muttered, willing her to go on.

"I have some concerns," Une said. "She's becoming… unbalanced. She appears to be splintering into her other persona."

"Dissociative identity?" Trowa guessed. He knew something of it, but knew that Une was more intimately familiar with the disorder.

"Affirmative," said Une. "I fear if we're not careful, she may go rogue on us."

Trowa nearly chuckled at the thought. Even in her black leather disguise, he couldn't picture Relena doing anything extreme. But orders were orders, and he knew he had to treat the matter seriously.

"I'll see what I can find out."

"Excellent. But don't give anything away." Trowa rolled his eyes at Une's instructions.

"You know I've done this sort of thing before, right?" he quipped.

"Obviously, but I also know you and Rain are… close. It wouldn't be difficult for her to work out what you're up to. You need to make arrangements with her under the guise of friendship. Or whatever you want to call it. Don't make this about the mission."

"Huh." Trowa was dumbfounded. His commander was asking him to… spend time with Relena. That was it.

"I'm sure you'll find a way to keep her preoccupied," Une said in a clipped, no-nonsense tone.

"For how long?"

"Long enough for us to get our arms around the situation," Une replied. "I'll update you when I can."

Trowa sighed. "Gold, she isn't going to like this. Rain doesn't want or need a babysitter."

"That's not up to either one of you," Une snapped. "You have your orders. Over and out." She hung up before Trowa could get in another word. He sat staring at his phone in his hand for a moment before working up the nerve to place a call of his own.

After a few rings, Relena answered breathlessly. "Hi. What's up?"

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No. Just squeezing in a workout between meetings." Trowa let his mind linger on that image, and he smiled, imagining what training with Relena would be like, since he had seen she was in stellar shape. "So, what's up?" she repeated, sounding somewhat impatient.

"I… was wondering if you're free later tonight." Relena laughed at his question.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" Her tone was teasing. Trowa laughed as well, allowing himself to relax as he leaned back against his cot.

"Should I have waited the requisite three days to call?"

"No, it's fine. But let's just cut through all the pretext." Trowa was slightly surprised by Relena's directness. "Are you asking me out?"

"Um, yeah." Trowa cleared his throat as he sat back up. "Yes."

"Okay," Relena said.

"Okay?" That was easier than he had thought it would be; he had at least expected her to make excuses.

"I have to get going now," she continued briskly. "I need to shower and get back to work. Want to just let me know when you're done with your show, and I can meet you for a drink or something?"

"Uh, sure." Trowa fumbled for more creative words, but found they weren't forthcoming. "Where?"

"Why, our usual spot, darling." Relena laughed airily. She clearly meant The 27 Club again.

"That works."

"Good," Relena said brightly. "I'll see you later, then."

"Okay. Be seeing you."

By the time they ended the call, Trowa's head was pounding, his heart throbbing wildly. He was well aware of the sexual tension, but there was another, more dominant sensation he couldn't quite place.

It felt a lot like fear.

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you to everyone who is giving this story some love! We know 3xR is not the most popular pairing but are glad to know that some others do appreciate it. If you're a 3xR shipper and you're reading this, please let us know! Or if you want to see some more 1xR, let us know that, too!_

 _We love you!_

 _\- RGS_


	7. Long Gone

After that night's performance, Trowa managed to get Catherine to agree to loan him her motorcycle once again. He mounted the bike and sped off toward downtown Brussels, not sure quite what to expect. He was eager to see Relena again, but couldn't help but wonder which version of her he would encounter. Une had made it sound as if Relena could slip into her "Faye" alter ego at any time. And if _that_ happened… Trowa was unclear on what dangers could arise, or what Relena could even be capable of doing. He frowned as wind whipped at his face. But, then, he was much taller and stronger than her; how bad could things possibly get?

The city's classic architecture beckoned Trowa as he navigated his bike through the winding streets. The skyscrapers holding businesses and government offices soon gave way to tree-lined streets littered with cafes and boutiques on either side. Trowa found the bistro Relena favored so much and found a parking spot a ways up the street.

It was a chillier night than the last, and even though it was nearly summer, Trowa was grateful he'd worn his leather jacket. He ambled over to the cafe, half-expecting to see Relena sitting at "her" table outside, but she wasn't there. He walked through the outdoor entrance, an archway covered with vines and white twinkling lights, and approached the maître d' stand. He immediately recognized the hostess from the night before.

"Are you joining Miss Relena?" the young woman asked him cheerily. Trowa nodded in response. "Right this way." He followed her inside as she led him through the restaurant. Finally they reached the back of the main dining area, where Relena sat in a corner booth, a half-full glass of amber-colored liquid in front of her.

Their eyes locked before Trowa had finished crossing the room. Slowly, her lips curved into a smile. She greeted him with a little wave.

Relena was dressed in her work attire from that morning, a crisp, white button-down blouse tucked into a gray pencil skirt, with a matching gray blazer, which was slung over the back of her chair. Her gray high heels completed the ensemble, also showcasing Relena's toned legs. Trowa's eyes drank her in hungrily, wondering how she could make a simple business suit look so alluring. What was even more alluring was the fact that he knew she wasn't even trying.

She rose as soon as he approached her table, grasping his hands and leaning in to brush a kiss to his cheek. Trowa knew it was a standard European greeting, but couldn't help but attach more meaning to it. He also used it as an excuse to press closer to her and plant a kiss on her cheek. He noted how quickly her face brightened to a rosy hue, her blue eyes shining up at him. He smiled down at her, knowing full well that her mind had gone there, too. It was unavoidable.

Neither of them spoke until they'd taken their seats. Relena sipped her drink and asked Trowa about his show; he asked her about work. They spoke easily for what felt like an endless stretch of time, falling into a comfortable banter by their second round of drinks. Trowa noted Relena's change in demeanor from that morning. The stiff and formal manner was gone, replaced by the effervescent woman he'd gone out with the night before. She was much more relaxed in the bistro atmosphere; it was no wonder it had become her after-work haunt. Whatever it was about the place, it seemed to relieve her of her work stress as well as the dark secrets she harbored, which Trowa was only beginning to learn.

It was getting late, so they both decided against ordering food, but Trowa knew if they continued to sit there drinking, neither of them would be in shape for driving. He racked his mind trying to come up with a way to ask her to leave with him without being terribly transparent. But Relena's dark lashes fluttered at him over her glass, and he wondered if he shouldn't just state the obvious.

He took a chance and inched his chair closer to hers, and was encouraged when she didn't back away. Part of him had expected her to dart like a scared rabbit; instead, she smiled warmly at him.

"Well, hey there, stranger," she said in a low, husky voice that sent him reeling all over again. Trowa smiled before leaning in and brushing a kiss to her neck.

"Want to get out of here?" he murmured.

Her eyes danced up at his. "You read my mind..."

* * *

Relena suggested that they take her car home, and Trowa readily agreed. He was mildly surprised when she handed him her keys. They swept out of the restaurant together and into her car, Trowa taking his place behind the wheel. He put the key in the ignition and left the top down as he pulled out of Relena's makeshift parking spot, halfway up the curb.

Even though the convertible's top was down, Trowa felt static in the air. He stole sidelong glances of Relena, and every time their eyes met, he swore he could see the sparks. She would blush, giggle and turn her head away, and Trowa decided he liked this demure side of her. In fact, he was hardpressed to think of anything he didn't like about her. His mind whirred with thoughts of what was to come, once they were back behind closed doors. His body twitched in anticipation. He wanted to pull the car over then and there, but it was only a short drive to Relena's townhouse.

He could wait. Barely.

He parked hastily and they exited the car, Trowa following behind Relena as she made her way up her walkway and then up the stairs. He was fully aware of her every movement, as she unlocked the door and pushed it open, her hands trembling slightly. He could smell the faint remnants of her floral-scented perfume from where he stood behind her. It was heady, intoxicating. The night air was already thick with humidity, and Trowa briefly wondered if a storm was coming. The atmosphere followed them inside, the air crackling with electricity.

He watched as Relena removed and hung her work blazer, along with her purse and briefcase, at this point tantalized by even the slightest hint of clothing removal. He was more worked up than he cared to admit. He hung back as Relena sashayed toward her kitchen.

"Drink?" she called over her shoulder.

"Yes." He cleared his throat, not realizing he was hoarse until he tried to speak. "Please."

He wondered if she knew of the effect she was having on him, and whether she secretly enjoyed it.

She pulled a bottle of brandy from her liquor cabinet, along with two glasses. Trowa noticed her hands were shaking once again. He stepped around her to complete the task for her, continuing to watch her out of the corner of his eye. She bit her bottom lip as he poured. He had seen her do that recently, in a much more intimate moment... the thought caused Trowa to slosh the liquid as he poured, spilling alcohol onto Relena's countertop. If she noticed, she didn't say anything.

Trowa handed a glass of brandy to her and watched in astonishment as she threw it back, like a shot. He decided to do the same, wanting to dull his nerves as quickly as possible. He couldn't even fathom why he was nervous around a woman he had already slept with, once. What was there to be nervous about, now? But no one had ever made him feel this way before. It struck him, not for the first time, that she was way out of his league.

He realized, after he finished his liquor, that his reason for being in her home with her was obvious to both of them. He watched her carefully as he set down his glass. She was looking up at him, brows arched in question. Trowa waited, wondering if she might make the first move. That would be nice, he thought. It would erase any lingering doubts that this was truly what she wanted. But since she didn't budge from her spot, he took a tentative step toward her.

He approached her as if he didn't quite know where to start, even though it hadn't taken him long, the night prior, to figure out what she liked. He had to wonder, as any guy would, how much of her enthusiasm was a put-on, though. For the sake of his own ego, he wanted to assume every reaction of hers was genuine, but he would rather be sure. If he couldn't make her feel good at first, he would damn himself trying.

Trowa lifted a hand to Relena's face and simply caressed her cheek. She seemed hesitant and took in a breath. She had been more vulnerable with him the night before, when she had almost started crying on her couch. But this time, her guard was up. Trowa frowned. She could build walls if she wanted, but he would only want to scale them.

"Relena." He spoke her name into the darkness, hoping it would bring her back to him. He couldn't know where she kept going in her mind, although he had his suspicions. If he could make her forget, even for a little while, he was more than happy to be of assistance. Especially since preoccupying Relena was mutually beneficial to him...

She raised her hand and clasped it around his, holding it against her cheek. She held his gaze and smiled before her eyes fluttered closed. Trowa took that as consent to test the waters. He bowed his head and brushed his lips against hers. Once, then again, sparking flint against steel.

And, then, the spark ignited.

Their light kisses quickly became a blazing fire. Relena reached up and grasped the back of Trowa's neck, pulling him down to her, as if she couldn't get him close enough. He responded by lifting her up by the waist. She wrapped her legs around his middle, and he carried her over to the couch. As he laid her down against the cushions, he didn't want to hold back a moment longer.

But her eyes held a teasing glint. Trowa had a feeling she was going to draw out his torture. Still, he was glad to see her playful side return, as she sat up and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the side of the couch. She ran her hands over his chest and abdomen, grinning unabashedly. It was clear she was enamored with his build, which made him proud. He was equally obsessed with her body. She trained hard, and it showed, and he found that insanely attractive.

To that point, Trowa busied himself unbuttoning her blouse before casting it aside, revealing a bra that was low-cut, black and lacy. He couldn't help but wish she had chosen it just for him, although Relena seemed to be the type to wear jaw-dropping, expensive lingerie under her everyday work clothes, just for fun.

He wasted no time removing her bra and flinging it somewhere behind him, so he could get to those perfect breasts. Hell, every inch of her was perfect, in his eyes. Even though he had only done this once with her before, he had already discovered some favorite features. Some of them would probably surprise her- the nape of her neck. The small of her back. The two, tiny dimples that appeared when she smiled fully. Even the small worry lines that creased her forehead. He found himself kissing her there before returning to her lips. And then he got to work removing the rest of her clothes. She took care of his belt buckle and jeans and, finally, his boxers.

Once they were both undressed, Trowa lowered Relena back down on the couch, kissing and caressing her with renewed intensity. It was hard not to lose control as her hands fluttered over him, paralyzing him with teasing touches wherever they went. The softness of those hands on his skin, and her smooth skin beneath his fingers… every new sensation, every emotion she evoked in him was maddening.

Trowa made the mistake of pausing, while hovering above her, and found himself ensnared by her gaze. Her blue eyes had the power to stun him. Especially now, as they prepared to fuse themselves together, once again. They were teetering on the brink of something almost too sacred to name.

 _I love you_.

He wanted to say it, had to say it at some point. But he knew it could send her running and, selfishly, he needed her to stay right where she was. At least for now. He had tried to keep his heart out of it, but it was too late for him.

Relena stopped touching him, briefly, and caught his gaze, opening her mouth to speak. Trowa pulled back and waited. He briefly allowed himself to hope she might say it first. But she just smiled seductively at him before whispering in his ear. Something that she wanted him to do. Trowa chuckled, and lowered his head to oblige.

 _I'm a goner._

* * *

Relena was tired of staring up at the ceiling, trying to reroute errant thoughts that kept pulling her mind in directions she didn't want it to go.

She cursed under her breath and pushed her duvet to the floor. Even though her centralized air conditioning kept her house at a cool, even temperature, her bedroom was stifling. Of course, things had gotten steamy in there. Again.

 _That's twice now._ Twice, she had let Trowa get under her skin, when she'd sworn to herself she wouldn't. Then again, could she keep blaming him for her own weaknesses? She had been the one to invite him out to dinner, and then to her home, and then repeat the process all over again, less than twenty-four hours later.

"What's wrong with me?!" Relena moaned into her pillow.

The answer was simple. She was lonely, he was handsome - and available - and she wanted him. And once she knew he wanted her, she allowed the chips to fall where they may. She knew it was silly, continuing to beat herself up for caving in to natural, human desires, but she had deprived herself for so long, it had become her normal.

 _So now what?_ Did she want to embark on a real relationship with Trowa, play things fast and loose, or try to act as if none of it ever happened? Her heart and mind had different answers.

Relena groaned and got out of bed, pulling on her robe and a pair of slippers. She didn't want to think any more that night; she needed a glass of water, and then a good night's sleep. Trowa had disappeared earlier to retrieve a glass for himself, but that had been a while ago. Relena frowned, wondering what he was up to.

Not that she cared. Not really.

Relena padded downstairs to the kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of ice water from the refrigerator. She didn't see Trowa downstairs, but figured he had to be around somewhere. She doubted he would just take off in the night… a realization that, for some reason, bothered her.

 _Chill out,_ Relena chided herself as she sipped the cold water. It did the trick, switching off her stream of anxious thoughts. At least for the moment. But then her mind returned to Trowa. _Damn Trowa._ She would have to have a talk with him, tonight, she decided. She had tried to clear the air with him the previous morning, but then they had been interrupted. She didn't know what exactly she would say to him, but one thing was for certain: their little dalliance had to end.

 _But why?_ Relena frowned. That was the hopeless romantic in her talking, the side of her she desperately wanted to kill, but couldn't. The part of her that allowed Trowa to get as far as he had. That side of her, however, was still connected to Heero, and she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't being fair to him. _What would Heero do, if the situation were reversed?_ She liked to think that, if she had been the one who'd been captured, he would go to hell and back to save her. He had risked his life for her, time and again. Would he have left her alone to become a glorified science experiment?

 _Let him go._ The commanding voice of Faye Oaks pushed its way into her cluttered mind. _Let_ them _go._

"Yes." Relena nodded decisively, setting her empty glass in the sink.

* * *

\- RGS


	8. Just Sex

Relena pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to suppress her headache. She shook her head and wandered into the living room, picking up her discarded clothes from earlier. She smoothed out the wrinkles, even though she probably wouldn't wear the outfit again without washing it. She glanced down the nearby hallway, where light spilled onto the floor. She frowned and followed it to find the door to her study open.

Relena entered the doorway, her eyes falling upon Trowa, who stood in front of her expansive bookshelf. He was wearing only his boxers, and her eyes were immediately drawn to his muscular form. She blinked at the torturous sight of the gorgeous half-dressed man standing before her, studying the back of one of her books.

"Have you read all of these?" Trowa addressed her without looking up. Of course, he would have sensed her presence in the doorway, if he hadn't been paying attention to her near-silent footfalls. He had been a Gundam pilot, after all.

"No, not even close," Relena answered him cautiously, hoping he wouldn't draw her into a long conversation. She strode over to his side. "I'm afraid I don't have much time for reading these days."

"Neither do I." He replaced the book he'd picked up and turned to her. "Although I don't have as good an excuse as you do. I _could_ read more; I just don't."

"Mm-hmm." Relena pursed her lips. His eyes regarded her carefully, and she got the unpleasant feeling that he could see right through her. She wondered if he knew exactly what she wanted to say before she said it. She sighed and changed tack. "Well, you can borrow whatever you want, you know." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Really?" Trowa's eyes sparked. She wondered if he was on to her, but then his hands skimmed over a few of the book spines in front of him. "Hmm… I may have to take you up on that."

"That's fine," Relena said breezily, forcing cheeriness into her tone. "Honestly, I hardly even use this room any more, so I wouldn't notice if some of these went missing for months at a time…"

She realized too late that her words held a kind of promise. Trowa caught her eye and smiled.

"You know," he said wistfully, "if I ever have a place of my own, I'd like to have a room just like this."

Relena's heart leapt, then took a dive. Unbidden visions flooded her mind, too rapidly to force them away. Moving boxes and morning kisses. Beach vacations, autumn strolls with coffee. Birthdays. Christmases. Valentines. Wedding rings... Things she had never dared to hope for before. Things _he_ had never promised her, and she had never expected him to. Those things were for other people; normal people, with typical jobs and families and lives. Not for people like her.

She stepped back and clutched at her chest. "Trowa…"

He seemed to sense the shift, but he turned toward her, not away. "What is it?" His eyes narrowed, as if he could see it coming.

"We need to talk." Relena reached for the familiar, soul-crushing phrase. But Trowa was nonplussed, folding his arms across his broad chest, looking steadily at her with unfettered confidence.

"Then let's talk."

Relena drew in a shaky breath and took another step back to create a safe distance between them. She didn't want him touching her, now.

"Trowa," she said firmly, matching her gaze to her tone with a tip of her chin. "This thing between us… whatever it is…" He startled her with his chuckle.

"Are you so eager to define things between us, already?" His eyes twinkled. Relena rolled hers in response.

"Me? Please. You're the one who keeps looking at me like you want to propose." To her annoyance, Trowa burst out laughing.

"Relena," he said once his laughter subsided, stepping forward to place a hand on her shoulder, which only irked her more. "I can assure you, I'm not."

"Then what are you doing?" she muttered, her frustration mounting. Trowa shrugged.

"I already told you; whatever you want," he said. His eyes turned serious. "You've already indicated to me that you don't want a relationship, and I'm fine with that."

Relena arched a brow skeptically. "Are you, though?" Trowa frowned.

"What makes you think I'm not?"

She thought his growing affection for her was obvious, but maybe she had misjudged him. Then again, maybe he was just toying with her. "You're okay with just sex, then?"

"Just sex." His words came out in a chuckle. "Just sex is fine, Relena." His lips curved upward. "'Just sex' is what I do."

Her skin prickled. "Uh-huh. Right."

Trowa took a step closer, towering over her. "If that's what you want," he said, his voice low and smooth. "I'm happy to accommodate."

He was _too_ accommodating, too eager to please her, she decided. _Something must be wrong with him._ In the moment, though, she believed him - that he would do anything she wanted, if she asked. She recalled their conversation from the previous night, when she asked him if he would move to Mars, and his immediate response.

 _In a heartbeat._

Relena shivered as he grasped both her arms. And then, without further warning, he hoisted her and pressed her up against the bookshelf, his hands on either side of her, boxing her in place.

"How about now?" Trowa dragged his eyes from her face, down to the low-cut v-neck of her robe.

"Again?" she gasped as he started trailing kisses down her neck. "I can't. Not tonight."

"No?" he breathed against her skin. "Why not?"

"Too sore," she complained. Trowa laughed.

"Is it too much for you?" His green eyes glinted. "I'd hate to ask what you're used to, but…"

"I only have one basis for comparison," she admitted, her face turning pink.

"Right." Trowa's eyes clouded. "Then, is He-" He cleared his throat. "Never mind," he said quickly, his face darkening. "I don't want to know."

Relena frowned up at him. "Well, you already knew I was involved with him..."

"And I'm the only other man you've been with?"

"Yes," she said quietly, feeling a bit embarrassed by the admission, although she didn't know why. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No." Trowa laughed again, his eyes glimmering. "That's good. Very good."

Relena scoffed, forgetting her bashfulness. "You men and your egos… How many women have you been with, besides me?"

Trowa's laugh grew huskier. "You really want to know?" Relena's face burned. She was curious, but not _that_ curious.

"No, not really," she muttered. He laughed again before returning his lips to her neck. She sighed and pressed her hands against his bare chest. "I mean, are we talking double digits, or…"

Trowa pulled back, his mirthful expression gone. "There's only one that matters."

Relena's breath caught. "Trowa…"

He beamed a smile at her before pressing his forehead to hers.

"You lied to me," Relena said testily. "You said you weren't falling in love with me."

His smile remained fixed. "I never said that."

"But… what about all that talk of _just sex_ , and-"

"I said I would do this on your terms," Trowa said evenly, pulling back from her slightly. "I never said anything about my personal feelings on the matter."

 _Please._ Relena squeezed her eyes shut. _I can't do this…_

Her head began to pulse.

"Get out," she said with a sudden forcefulness. Trowa blinked at her, but otherwise didn't move.

"What?"

"I said, get out!" She delivered a swift shove to his abdomen, but he maintained his stance.

"You're serious," Trowa remarked, his only movement coming from his arched brows.

"Don't make me repeat myself," she warned, her temper climbing. Trowa stepped back, raising both his hands in defense. He looked at her plaintively as she swept past him and out of the room.

"I don't understand." His calm voice followed behind her, adding to her irritation. Relena ignored him and busied herself picking up Trowa's clothes, which were strewn about the living room. She turned around and thrust them at him. He caught them deftly, continuing to stare her down. "What are you doing?"

"I'm too tired, angry and frustrated to argue right now," she muttered. Trowa folded his arms and glared down at her.

"Really," he said flatly. "Angry after all the attention I've lavished upon you? Frustrated because you didn't get enough of a release?"

Relena shot him a glare before looking away. "Trowa…"

"Look, Relena," he said sternly, taking a few steps toward her. "I understand if you need space; I'm happy to give you that. You have a lot of things to process and I get if this is all a little… _much_ for you."

"Good," Relena quipped, crossing her own arms over her chest. "Then go already."

Trowa's jaw clenched. "Regardless of how you feel right now… it doesn't give you the right to treat me like some fuck boy." Relena felt her own jaw tense.

"Isn't that what you just said you wanted?!" she asked incredulously. "Make up your mind, Trowa. You can't have it both ways."

"You know, I didn't come here expecting anything," Trowa said tersely, his nostrils flaring as he spoke. Relena half-expected him to burst out yelling, but then that didn't seem like him. She braced herself for an outburst, just in case, and kept her arms folded tightly around herself as she matched his steely gaze. "Apparently I managed to fall into your trap, though. So, nice work."

Relena rolled her eyes as Trowa turned his back to her and started dressing, ignoring the sting of shame she felt at his words.

"You know," he said over his shoulder, "you have a hell of a way of treating people who care about you."

Relena's face burned, but she said nothing, staring at the floor, trying to pretend she was somewhere else. Trowa finished dressing and turned around to face her, staring straight into her eyes for an uncomfortable moment before shaking his head and looking away. Relena watched as he strode over to the couch and sat down, picked up his phone and started scrolling.

"What are you doing?" she asked sharply.

"Nothing," he said without looking up. Relena gaped down at him.

"I thought you were leaving."

He raised his head to look at her, his green eyes boring into hers. "I'm not going anywhere." Relena's jaw dropped.

"You can't just _stay_ here, after I told you to leave my home," she said, aghast. "That's trespassing. _And_ harassment."

"I have orders that supercede your request," he responded in a clipped, soldier's tone. Relena's eyes bulged at his revelation.

"What?!" she screeched, balling her fists at her sides. "What are you talking about?"

"I've been instructed to look after you," he said. Relena could almost feel her blood start to boil.

"Oh, is that right?!" she said hotly. "So _that's_ what this is all about... "

Trowa shook his head. "Not quite. We were already involved when I was given my orders."

"Involved?!" Relena threw up her hands and started pacing. Outrage and disappointment rocked her insides, and she felt as if she were going to be sick. "You used this as excuse to get _more_ involved, didn't you?" She stopped pacing abruptly and whirled on him. "I'm sure this was a difficult assignment for you to accept. But at least you managed to get off a few times."

Trowa's entire face tightened, his brow furrowing and eyes screwing up into narrow green slits. "What the hell, Relena?!" His voice rose as his words grew more heated. "You think that's all I care about? That must be why I spent so much time with my head between your legs, to ensure that _I_ was getting off, multiple times." He laughed bitterly and shook his head, tearing his gaze from hers. "You're unbelievable."

" _You_ are!" Relena retorted. "All you care about is sex!"

Trowa launched to his feet. "I care about _you_!" He jabbed his pointer finger at her. "That's why I'm here! That's _all_." He stopped yelling but his chest rose and fell as his breathing remained heavy, his eyes burning.

Relena kept her eyes locked on his. "I need you to leave." She raised a finger and pointed toward the door, her entire body shaking. "Now."

The passion and rage faded from Trowa's face, his eyes hollow. "I can't," he said simply, and for the first time, he looked helpless to her. His eyes were almost pleading. "Don't worry, I won't trouble you any further tonight." His gaze dropped to the floor. "I'll just be… here." He sank back down onto the couch, looking thoroughly defeated.

Relena clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides, her fury ebbing and flowing.

"I'm calling Une," she said at last, tipping her chin up as she looked down at him. "You'll be removed from this mission. Then you'll be free to go."

"Fine." Trowa didn't look back up as Relena spun out of the living room and made her way upstairs. She stomped up the steps, anger building once again, screaming inwardly. _How could he?!_ As she entered her bedroom and stormed over to her bedside table, snatching up her phone, she couldn't even decide what she was most infuriated about, feeling deceived or used, or…

Everything racing through her mind came crashing to a halt as she looked down at her phone. The screen showed _seventeen_ missed calls. Some from Wufei, some from Une. She was sure Faye's phone would display the same. Her stomach plummeted, knowing something had to be terribly wrong.

Her fingers moved of their own accord. Relena didn't even know who she was calling back as she pressed the phone to her ear, listening to the dial. Une answered, sounding panicked.

" _Relena!"_ she bellowed, foregoing the formality of codenames. "Where are you?!"

"I-I'm home," Relena stammered, her entire body stiffening as she gripped the phone. "What's wrong?"

"He's escaped."

Relena's hand slipped and she started to drop the phone, but forced herself to hold on more tightly. "What?!"

Une's words sounded far away as she started to explain. "We don't know how, he just-"

"Where?!"

"The facility. We think he may still be on the grounds, somewhere..."

"I'm coming." Une gave her some vague instructions before hanging up, but Relena immediately forgot whatever it was the other woman said. She stood staring blankly into the darkness for a moment as her mind worked to process the impossible news. Her head swelled until it felt like it could explode. Relena's own voice sounded thin and far away as she screamed for Trowa.

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you to all of the readers and reviewers!_

 _\- RGS_


	9. Likely to Kill

_A/N: Hi everyone, here is a short update to kick off the week! Thanks for supporting this crazy little story... it's awesome to hear from so many Trowa fans! Hope you enjoy this next installment._

 _Happy Monday!_

 _\- RGS_

* * *

The tension that had erupted between Trowa and Relena earlier quelled long enough for the two of them to take off in her car and head to the Abbott facility. She had insisted on driving, since she knew more than one shortcut, and Trowa hadn't argued. He was silent throughout the entire drive, this time not making any quips about her haphazard driving.

Relena's mind was drilling into focus. She had trained for this type of scenario, although there was so much she still didn't know about Heero and his condition, and what they could expect to encounter. All she knew what that she had to be prepared, and to aim to kill, if necessary. She knew she didn't have it in her, not one bit.

 _She_ didn't, but Faye did.

Relena had had mere moments to transform into Faye Oaks, throwing on her black clothing in the dark of her room, adding the wig once she and Trowa were in the car. There had been no time to alter her appearance further with makeup and, as it were, Relena didn't feel "fully" Faye. Not yet. Perhaps it was partially due to the emotional turmoil she found herself in with Trowa; perhaps her own inadequacies were to blame. Her head throbbed as voices rose and fell in her mind, warring with one another.

 _Stop him... save him._

 _Come back to me, Heero._

She fought to keep her eyes from misting as she guided her car to the outer gates of the facility, where she entered her first in a series of codes to gain access onto the premises. Trowa frowned at her from the passenger seat.

"Relena," he said quietly. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

She opened her mouth to answer him but her voice caught. It irritated her, how well Trowa seemed to think he knew her.

"I'm fine," she lied.

"I don't think so," he continued as Relena guided the car further into the property. "But you don't have to do this. Go inside and find a safe place to hide. The rest of us will handle this."

"No," Relena whispered harshly, swinging her eyes over to him. "I can't hide at a time like this. This is what I've trained for." She parked the car and unfastened her seatbelt, avoiding his eyes.

"You're not ready," he said simply. Relena's eyes hardened.

"You're not qualified to say that. Une assigned me for a reason." She lowered her eyes to her hands, laughing darkly. "You don't even know what I'm capable of."

Trowa grasped her arm. "Relena…"

A shock of pain struck her head, like a lightning bolt. Relena gasped, but she instantly felt better, adrenaline surging through her. She raised her head and grinned at Trowa.

"What's the matter, handsome? You're not afraid, are you?"

Trowa's brows arched as she jerked her arm away from his hold. "Relena?"

"Let's go." She opened the door and exited her car and circled around to the back of the car, where she'd stowed a large black duffel bag. She hefted the bag from the trunk and slung the strap over her shoulder.

Relena brushed past Trowa toward the facility, which was already in chaos. Emergency lights flashed around the exterior of the building, and search lights spread out along the ground in all directions from the lights mounted on the roof. A siren screamed through the night air.

When Relena threw open the door to the facility, she was met by Wufei, who looked rather haggard. His white coat was a rumpled mess and his hair was falling out of his usually neat ponytail.

"About time you got here," he muttered, turning to lead her down the hall. "And of course, you brought Barton."

"Just tell me what happened," Relena snapped. She could feel Faye clawing at the edges of her psyche, desperate to take over.

"We've been keeping him sedated during the night, to avoid this kind of situation," Wufei explained, halting at a set of double doors. He swiped his badge access card and entered in a passcode on the numerical pad. The doors swung open. "I'm still not sure what, exactly, happened, but last night, it seems he was not given enough of the sedative. He woke up not too long ago, and with his full strength, was able to subdue the guards and leave the facility."

Relena processed this information, already skeptical as Wufei led them to another door, which he kicked open with one foot. It swung in. The lights were still on in the room, and Relena could clearly see the blood spattered on the walls and floor. Two bodies lay face-down, their blood pooling around their heads. The acrid smell of gunpowder assaulted her nostrils.

"He killed them?" Trowa asked from the back.

"He's likely to kill anyone who gets in his way," Wufei replied. He shooed them from the room and continued down the hallway. "I have one more thing to show you, then you need to get your asses out there to find him."

A small security control room was located within the laboratory wing. A white-faced guard pointed to a screen mounted on the wall and tapped a key on his keyboard. In color, a scene unfolded. Relena's stomach clenched when she saw Heero, lying on a slab in the middle of the stark-white room. His eyes opened, but they were not his eyes. Faster than she could comprehend, Heero leapt from the slab and grabbed the first guard. With one hand, Heero threw him to the ground. The guard's head hit the ground with such force that blood sprayed in all directions, coating the floor and nearby walls. The second guard ran in, firing a pistol at Heero, but missing every shot. Heero ripped the gun from the guard, twisting his hand all the way around. Relena was thankful that she couldn't hear the sound of the guard's scream. With another push, Heero threw the guard to the ground, where his head met the same fate as his partner. Heero tucked the gun into the waistband of his pants and barged from the room.

The following clips merely showed him leaving the facility and escaping by climbing the fence, in spite of the barbed wire wrapped around the top. And then he was gone, lost in the darkness of the trees.

Relena's emotions ran the gamut as she watched the security footage. Her old self wanted to try and save him, to bring him back to where he belonged. Her other self wanted to defeat him. Her desires were divided further apart than a canyon.

But Faye had to be in charge on this one. Relena slipped away, to allow Faye to make her appearance.

* * *

Trowa trotted after Relena as she strode toward the front of the facility. She still carried the large duffle bag on her back, which he suspected contained weapons of some kind. In the lobby area, she dropped the bag to the ground and pulled back the zipper. Sure enough, two pistols nestled in shoulder holsters were exposed. Relena picked these up and strapped them on, so the grips stuck out from her between her arm and breast. She drew out a knife next, hidden inside a sheath, but Trowa could imagine how wicked the blade must look, based on the curve and design of the sheath. She strapped this to her thigh.

"There's probably something in here you can use," she said, her voice flat. Trowa glanced at the bag, and back up at Relena. It dawned on him that he wasn't speaking to _Relena_ , but to Faye Oaks, her other persona. The one Une had warned him about. He shifted on his feet, nervousness bubbling up inside.

"He's going to be too strong for you," Trowa said, not yet giving up on stopping her from going on this deadly mission.

Eyes that did not belong to Relena rolled, and she said, "I can handle it. You just worry about yourself."

She ignored his worried expression and turned away toward the door. "If you see Wufei or Une, tell them I already left."

And she was gone.

* * *

 _\- RGS_


	10. A Losing Battle

Relena ran through the woods, a flashlight clutched in her hand, feeling twigs and branches brush against her bare arms. She ignored this, felt no pain. Her lungs burned with the cool night air, and goosebumps ran up and down her bare skin. She was focused, solely, on the mission at hand. Heero _had_ to be apprehended, or he would hurt someone. Or kill. And the mission, everything she'd worked for, would be ruined.

As she ran, she wondered if she would even be able to catch up with Heero. They'd spent too much time getting to the Abbott facility, and too much time watching security footage. Heero possessed super-human speed and stamina, and there was no telling how far away he could get in the interim.

The trees thinned, and Relena came upon a clearing. Her flashlight beam swayed across the open space, and the shock of a figure standing in the center of the clearing sent Relena skidding across leaves and grass. She just managed to catch herself before completely losing her balance. Once she was stable, she raised her flashlight up again, and shone it on the figure in the center of the clearing.

It was him.

He stood, stock still, his chin angled upwards. He appeared to be staring at the sky. A crescent moon cast a minimal amount of light upon the ground, but beyond that, the stars shimmered brilliantly. Relena stood motionless for a moment, watching him, watching the stars. She wondered if he even knew she was standing just a few meters away. Before she could move again, his head turned and his blue eyes landed on her.

"You're just a woman." A smirk formed on his lips as he eyed her up and down. "Why'd they send you?" he asked with a sneer.

"I came after you myself," Relena said, feeling defensive. Heero, this version of him, didn't know about her training or Faye Oaks.

Heero scoffed. "As if _you_ could stop me," he said. Relena glowered at him, and drew two pistols from their holsters around her hips. She trained both on Heero and continued to hold his gaze. The smirk widened. "The girl has guns."

"You need to return to the facility," Relena said. "Don't make me kill you." This time, Heero laughed, and the sound only infuriated Faye, whom Relena was still holding back, believing she could take care of the situation herself. But Relena could feel herself sinking into darkness as Faye forced her way up to the surface.

And Faye was pissed.

Without waiting for a further exchange of words, Relena leapt forward, controlled by Faye. She fired off several rounds from her pistols, but Heero easily dodged the bullets. He moved forward, too, his hands outstretched as if he were going to choke her. As Relena reached him, she brought her knee up into his gut. But it was like her knee hit a brick wall. She stumbled backwards, nearly losing her balance and her weapons. Heero laughed.

"It's their fault I'm like this," he said, spreading his hands out to indicate his body. Relena scowled at him and relaunched her attack, trying to ignore the pain in her knee. She fired a shot again, aimed as his head, but he dodged again. "You really want to kill me, don't you?" he asked, circling around, not moving to launch an assault against her.

"Not really," Relena said, feeling Faye speak for her. "All our research would be for naught."

Something flickered in Heero's eyes. Recognition. Sadness? His blue eyes narrowed into harsh slits. "Your research," he echoed. Heero launched himself forward, reaching towards her. Relena tried to fire her pistol in her right hand, but the damn thing jammed. She turned and ran, trying to outrun him into the woods. Before she could reach the trees, she heard someone call out,

"Relena!"

She skid to a halt and looked up. Trowa jumped from a high tree, twirled in the air once and landed on his feet on the ground. His sudden appearance stopped Heero from his attack, momentarily distracting him. Trowa had a large rifle swung around his back, which he grabbed and leveled at Heero.

Relena resisted the urge to yell out to Trowa, to stop him from trying to shoot Heero.

 _I want to be the one to bring him in,_ she thought desperately.

"It would be in your best interest to come with us quietly," Trowa said, his gaze on Heero, who laughed.

"Like you could stop me, Mr. Acrobat," Heero said. Trowa frowned and fired several rounds from his rifle. Relena screamed and lunged forward, pushing Heero to the ground. The two tumbled through the dirt and leaves, until they both rested on their backs, looking up at the night sky. Both pistols flew from Relena's hands and skittered across the ground.

"Well, well," Heero said beside her. Relena leapt to her feet. Faye screamed at her from inside her mind. "You just saved me."

"Relena, what are you doing?" Trowa cried out, sounding desperate.

She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know who was in control. Faye or Relena? Relena or Faye? She brought her hands up to her head and pressed against her temples, willing the conflicting voices in her head to silence.

But she lost the battle once more.

A fierce expression crossed Relena's face, and she lunged forward, her hands grabbing at Heero's arms, grappling with him, trying to gain the upper hand. But he threw her off of him, and she spun, landing hard against her shoulder on the ground. She felt something slip out of place, and pain exploded from inside her body. With a cry of pain and anger, she scrambled back to her feet.

This time, Trowa moved in, firing his rifle, but Heero dodged out of the way and circled around, faster than Trowa could keep up with. Heero landed a punch on Trowa's chest, knocking him backwards off his feet. He flew a few feet and landed in a heap on the ground, unmoving. Relena cried out once more, this time for Trowa, but she couldn't lose sight of the problem.

But she knew that Heero could get away at any time. He was too strong for them. That meant he was simply toying with them. Toying with their lives.

Relena needed to do something, but what?

She launched herself at him, ignoring the pain in her shoulder, and landed two punches to his neck, which knocked him backwards, and he lost his footing for a moment. He regained it just as quickly, and threw a punch at Relena's gut, which she barely avoided by leaping out of the way. Relena threw another punch, this time at his sternum, but once more, she felt as if she were fighting a brick wall. She felt her fingers crunch under the impact, and in that moment, knew she needed to find her weapons to bring him down.

But she was losing.

Heero punched her in her gut, and her breath wooshed from her lungs. She landed on her back, unable to breathe, gasping for air.

"Faye!"

Another voice from the trees.

"Stay down!"

Her vision swam, but she thought she saw Wufei, dressed in his white coat. He lifted a rifle and fired, this time hitting Heero in the back of the neck. But it wasn't a bullet. Before she passed out, she saw that it was a tranquilizer dart. Heero's face froze, and he slumped to the ground in a heap, landing beside Relena among the leaves and dirt.

* * *

-RGS


	11. On the Lam

Relena sat impatiently while the medics put her shoulder back into place. It didn't hurt nearly as much as she'd anticipated, but then she wondered absentmindedly if her brain was, at that point, numb to the pain.

Her mind was fixed on the searing image of midnight blue eyes staring her down, primal and desperate. She had thought foolishly, for a moment, that she could call out to his soul. Of course, there was no reasoning with the wild man that used to be Heero Yuy.

Once she was given a sling and a bottle of painkillers, Relena was shooed out of the infirmary. It was at Wufei's insistence that she, Trowa and the rest of their injured teammates get treatment right then and there. There would be no hospitals, no traces of tonight's incident.

She was worried at first when Trowa was loaded onto a stretcher and carried inside the facility. Relena hadn't known how hurt he was, couldn't get close enough to him in the aftermath to inspect his injuries up close. She was surprised the taller and stronger acrobat had sustained more damage than she had; for all that could have gone wrong, she had emerged from her first true battle relatively unscathed. A fact of which she knew Faye would be proud. But Relena was anxious, hoping Trowa wasn't badly hurt.

 _And he's probably still angry with me,_ she thought. She couldn't even remember what they had fought about earlier, only knew that they had. She had a feeling Trowa wasn't one to hold onto grudges, though, and wanted to make sure he was all right.

And so she was taken aback when she stepped out into the hallway and found him upright, standing as if he'd been waiting for her. His face was scuffed with dirt or bruises, or both; she wasn't sure. And he was sporting a neck brace, which he was scratching the inside of. It reminded Relena that her Faye wig was itching her, but she didn't dare take it off as long as she was in the facility.

She strode over to Trowa, her mouth agape. "Shouldn't you be in a wheelchair?" Relena couldn't even tell from looking up, into his eyes, whether he was even in pain. As usual, his face gave nothing away, although she had seen a spectrum of emotions from him over the past few days. Now, though, he was back to his typical mask.

"It's not that bad," he said simply, adding a careless shrug for good measure. Relena continued to gape up at him for a beat before shaking her head in disbelief.

"He flicked you," she said in a hushed tone, "like you were an insect."

"Yeah, well." Trowa gave another shrug. "In case you haven't noticed, I tend to do all right when I'm airborne." Then he frowned. "Of course, if I'd been able to take him down earlier…"

Relena winced. It was her fault Heero had managed to attack Trowa in the first place. She'd let her emotions get the best of her, something she had promised herself - _and_ Faye - that she wouldn't do. "I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me," she sighed.

Trowa's head was cocked to the side as he studied her closely. "It's all right. I understand."

Relena still felt like she had to justify her actions, though. "We did agree to try to take him in alive," she said, somewhat sheepishly. Hadn't they? Wasn't that the whole point of all of this - to try to recover Heero?

"Right," Trowa said flatly. "Although if it comes down to saving his life versus yours…" His brow furrowed, but his gaze remained steady. "I'm going to have to choose the latter."

Relena held his gaze, realizing too late that she had gotten in far too deep with Trowa. She had dragged him into this, and now both of their lives were at risk. _She_ was willing to risk it all for Heero, but it wasn't fair to expect the same of Trowa… and now, even worse, he was willing to put his life on the line for _her_.

She couldn't have that.

"Next time," she muttered darkly, "don't bother trying to save me."

Trowa frowned at that. "You're reminding me of someone I used to know," he said. Before Relena could stop him, Trowa reached over and pulled off her wig. She gasped and covered her head with her hands, needing to maintain her disguise.

"Trowa!" she hissed, whirling around to ensure no one had seen. "Give that back!"

He glared at her for what felt like far too long before handing it back to her with a labored sigh. "Forgive me if I've had enough of Faye for one night."

Relena fixed him with a glare of her own as she readjusted the wig. "We can't afford to be sloppy," she said coolly. "We must be more discreet. Our mission… our _lives_ depend on it."

Trowa's emerald eyes stayed with hers. "I understand what's at stake," he said slowly. "Do you?"

Relena opened her mouth to answer, but the sound of another voice halted her. Someone calling a woman's name. She realized a beat too late it was _her_ name - or rather her alias.

"Faye?"

Wufei, now dressed in the white lab coat and spectacles of Dr. Feng Zan, stopped in front of her, frowning.

"Sorry," she said automatically, straightening her posture and forcing her attention on him. "What's the status update?"

"We gave the specimen another sedative," Wufei answered in a clipped tone. "We hope to keep him unconscious for at least a few more hours while we monitor his brain activity…"

Relena frowned at him. "Isn't there anything else you can do?" Wufei shook his head.

"It's the best we can do, for now. You should go home," he added, his dark eyes scanning hers.

"But, Wu- Dr. Zan," Relena quickly corrected herself. "Shouldn't we stay and try to help? Surely there's much more work to be done…"

Starting with trying to reform Heero, once he was awake again, and recover his memories. He had been much more lucid than Relena had expected, out there in the woods, despite his menacing fighting abilities and brute strength. He was able to talk to them… surely, if they had some more time, they could find a way to reason with him?

"Not tonight," Wufei said sharply, cutting into Relena's thoughts. "Not for you. It's just me and the techs from here on out."

For the first time Relena noticed how drained he looked, and she found herself focusing on the crow's feet behind his glasses. Wufei had always looked young for his age, but the creases around his eyes betrayed him.

"Go home," he repeated, but the authority had left his voice, his strain showing. "Get some rest."

"What about you?" Relena asked softly, breaking protocol to grasp his arm. Wufei's eyes widened and he pulled back slightly before recovering with a curt nod.

"Thank you, Miss Oaks, for your concern, but I'll be just fine." His words were forced and stilted but, for a moment, the two exchanged looks that reminded them of who they really were, not the actors in the pantomime they were playing out for the security cameras.

Relena nodded, too, and broke away. "All right. Well, thank you, Dr. Zan."

"Thank you for all you did to help recapture the specimen," Wufei said flatly, resuming character. He nodded over to Trowa, who nodded his response, and Relena wondered what else the two former Gundam pilots had communicated between their eyes.

* * *

When Trowa and Relena arrived back at her townhouse, the sky was tinged pink with the rising sun. Relena looked dazed as she wandered into her house. Trowa accompanied her up to her bedroom, helping her undress around her injury. Not long after she laid down on her bed, she appeared to fall into a deep slumber. Trowa could only imagine how conflicted and heartbroken she must have felt after seeing Heero in his dangerous state.

Trowa left Relena to her sleep and tried to do the same on her couch, but found his mind was too restless. He got up and rummaged through Relena's kitchen in search of something to make them for breakfast, but couldn't come up with enough ingredients to cook anything substantial. Relena appeared to keep her liquor cabinet better stocked than her refrigerator and pantry. Grabbing his wallet and phone, and Relena's keys, Trowa headed out into the bright, late spring morning.

Summer was still a few weeks away, but the day was already warming up nicely. Birds chirped and a gentle breeze stirred the air, mingling with the floral scent of wisteria bushes that lined the houses along the street with the smell of food and coffee wafting from nearby cafes. Trowa's stomach grumbled to remind him he hadn't eaten much the night before, and spending the night running for his life through the woods had done little to improve his stamina.

Trowa came across a market and ended up with a grocery bag stuffed with a fresh baguette, fruit, eggs, cheese and a few vegetables. In his other hand, he carried a tray of espressos with a dollop of cream in each. And then, spontaneously, he set his items down to buy a spring bouquet. The purple hyacinth blossoms, larkspur and white calla lilies peeked out of the top of Trowa's grocery bag, making his walk back to Relena's house even more fragrant. He hoped the flowers would help cheer Relena up, even a little. Although after what they'd experienced last night, he wondered if that was even possible.

He also wondered where he stood with her, although if he were to hazard a guess, he would have to assume her thoughts were all wrapped up in Heero. And anyway, he was too much of a gentleman to ask. Trowa decided he would just continue to be there for Relena, and show her he cared, in his own way.

As he walked, his phone sang out from his pocket, but Trowa's hands were full. He waited until after he'd gotten back to Relena's and unpacked the groceries to return the call. He was expecting Catherine, but then he had told her before he left the circus where he would be spending the night, and was assured she wouldn't be bothering him.

But the missed call was from Une.

Trowa figured the commander would have news, or some update on Heero. But when she answered, her voice was livid.

"Agent Seed," she barked. "Where are you?"

"At Relena's." Trowa frowned into the phone. "What's wrong?"

"Nice try," Une seethed. "How about telling the truth?"

"I _am_ here," Trowa said firmly. "I stepped out momentarily, but-"

"Long enough for her to escape."

"What?" Trowa left the kitchen and headed up the stairs. "What do you mean, _escape_? She lives here," he said testily. "And anyway, she's right-"

Trowa opened the door to Relena's bedroom, but found her bed was empty, the duvet crumpled up at the end of the mattress. Undeterred, he strode into her bathroom, but she wasn't there, either. He continued throughout the house, checking her spare bedrooms, a second bathroom and, finally, her office. But Relena was nowhere to be found. Trowa cursed into the phone.

"You had orders, Seed," Une said sternly.

"I know," Trowa started, "but she was asleep-"

"I warned you about her," Une cut in. "I told you she can be unpredictable."

Trowa's heart raced, wondering where Relena could have gone. Although, instinctively, he knew. "So what now?" he asked Une.

"Come by HQ first," she said. "You'll need a disguise."

Hanging up, Trowa bounded outside. He noticed now that Relena's car was gone, something that had slipped his attention when he first got back to the house, his vision slightly obscured by his purchases. He chided himself for the misstep. Now, he would have to retrieve his motorcycle from where he'd parked the night before, up the street from The 27 Club. Trowa ran back to where he left the bike, praying he hadn't already wasted too much time.

* * *

-RGS


	12. Special Delivery

Relena fingered her ID badge - or rather, Faye's - as she waited for the elevator. Wufei was next to her, scrolling through his tablet. Technicians, administrative and maintenance personnel milled about. Relena pretended to be absorbed with her phone while tracking their movements out of the corner of her eye. No matter what, she had to remain discreet.

Relena waited until she and Wufei were inside the elevator, alone, before addressing him.

"How is he?" she asked softly, giving him a sidelong glance. Wufei looked up from his tablet.

"Better than we expected, actually," he answered. Relena breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good." She flexed the fingers of her good hand. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Of course, we had to adjust his medication throughout the night." Wufei pushed up his glasses. "But he's docile now. The serotonin inhibitors helped. Last I checked, he was resting."

"Thank you for doing that." Relena looked Wufei in the eye. "And thank you for arranging this for me." He frowned in response.

"You're welcome, although I still think it's a bad idea. This is risky at best." He sighed. "If I were more awake, I would have fought you more."

Relena lowered her eyes. "I know."

"I had to make up something to the board about your wanting to confront your attacker. Like some woman empowerment thing." Wufei rolled his eyes. "They seemed to buy it, but…" He clenched his jaw. "We need to be careful. You understand what's at stake."

"I do, but I also have to see him." She turned pleading eyes to Wufei. "You don't know how badly I want to break him out of here and take him home. And I would, if I could do it without being shot on sight." She sighed deeply, her shoulders shagging.

"I know." Wufei reached out and grasped her shoulder. Relena was glad he chose to sympathize instead of scolding her just then. She could sense Wufei's fatigue, and knew dealing with Heero in his altered state on a daily basis had to be a burden all its own.

The elevator stopped and the doors parted, and Wufei and Relena stepped out into the basement. They entered a long, dimly lit hallway bathed in a pale, sickly yellow glow.

"I don't understand why Preventer can't move now," Relena continued their discussion, keeping her voice low. "He already escaped once…" She turned imploring eyes up to Wufei. "Why can't we just set him free, then capture him ourselves?"

"We have to weigh all the risks of doing something so reckless," Wufei countered.

"Duo could do it," Relena muttered, picturing their old friend detonating his way through the base, heroically dragging Heero out with him.

"Obviously," Wufei agreed. "He's brash enough for the job, sure. But Heero would have to be stable enough to make it out of here. Without taking Maxwell's head off in the process."

Relena grimaced. "And you don't think he's there yet?"

"Not nearly," Wufei answered. "We'll see how he does on the latest batch of meds."

"Right." Relena sighed again as they neared the lab entrance. She watched silently as Wufei entered his access code, then allowed her inside. She followed him into the square-shaped metallic room, where a small team of technicians in white lab coats sat huddled at their workstations.

And there, just a few feet ahead, was a large glass wall separating the main room from a smaller room, where she could see Heero lying strapped to an exam table.

He was clad in a black tank top and pants, and wasn't fighting the restraints. As Wufei had said, Heero was resting, his head against a flat pillow, his eyes closed. To Relena, he resembled nothing of the wild man who attacked her; he looked every bit like the man she had known and loved.

Relena ignored the room's other occupants and rushed right up to the glass.

"Why is he restrained like that?!" She turned questioning eyes to Wufei. "He's all alone in there…"

"It's necessary, for now," Wufei explained tonelessly. "Wouldn't want him to hurt himself. Remember, he's coming down from his latest dose."

One of the young technicians frowned in Relena's direction.

"Faye, you're _concerned_ for that son of a bitch, after what he tried to do to you?" he spat. "I'd like to put the bastard on ice for good."

Wufei shot him a steely glare. "Enough, Chad. She's already distraught. Let her be."

Chad rolled his eyes but backed away. "Fine. Sorry, Dr. Zan." He shot Relena a withering look before returning to his station. Wufei was also giving her a hard look. Relena winced, knowing she had nearly blown her cover. She would have to force herself to keep her emotions in check.

 _Faye. I'm Faye,_ she chanted inwardly. _My name is Faye Oaks..._

"Like I said earlier," Wufei murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. "Careful."

Relena swallowed around a lump in her throat. "I'm sorry. Can I go see him now?"

Wufei sighed and looked around him. "I still wouldn't advise it, but you do have clearance now." He lead her around the glass wall to a large steel doorway off to the side of the smaller room. "I would caution you to keep your distance."

"But he's restrained," Relena protested.

"Doesn't matter," Wufei said tersely. "We can't be too careful. Of course, I'll be right there with you."

"You won't let me speak to him alone," she surmised.

"Not right now."

Relena matched his stern gaze. "I'm still going to tell him, you know." Wufei's almond eyes widened.

"Don't do that. It's unwise."

"But someone has to," she whispered urgently. "He deserves to know what happened, and who he really is."

Wufei squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Women…"

"Besides." Relena gave his arm a jab. "You'll be right there with me, in case anything happens."

"Like if he reacts unfavorably?" Wufei sighed. "You don't know what that kind of information might do to his head. This is a terrible idea..."

"But why?" Relena spread her hands. "Maybe it will give him hope, knowing there are people on the inside, trying to help him." Wufei shook his head.

"Or he'll think we're just trying to fuck with him."

"Then we'll have to give him proof," Relena said firmly, newly determined. She grinned up at Wufei while he shook his head.

"You're insane."

Relena's gaze was unyielding. "Let me in, please."

Wufei sighed again before entering another access code. "Something tells me I'm going to come to regret this…"

* * *

Trowa looked down at the brown uniform in dismay. "A delivery guy, really? This is the best we can do?"

Une regarded him with a slightly bemused expression. "Take it or leave it," she said flippantly. "The institute is large, but considerably small-staffed on site. Even if you disguise yourself as a tech, you'd stick out like a sore thumb." She tipped her head at Trowa, appraising him with her eyes. "Not to mention that hair of yours… I don't know how you ever managed undercover. You don't exactly blend into the scenery."

Trowa patted down his hair, but it sprang back to its full volume. "I'll add a hat. Anyway, this probably won't be enough to get me into wherever Heero is…"

"No, but it will at least get you into the building." Une cracked a smile at him. "And I know you can manage from there."

She bent down at her desk and retrieved a few cardboard boxes of various sizes from underneath. Trowa's eyes scanned over the labels, all addressed to Dr. Feng Zan.

"You thought of every detail," he said approvingly. "But then I should expect the Preventers to be thorough, as always."

"Oh, that." Une's lips twitched. "I had Wufei withhold some of his mail for such an occasion. These are full of medical supplies he doesn't necessarily need. But no one at Abbott needs to know that. Tell them they contain hazardous materials, or something." Her eyes glimmered. Trowa smiled but shook his head.

"Nah. Someone would probably want to examine them, and that would only slow me down." He took the items from Une and turned to exit her office. "I'll… report back when I can."

"Very well. Thank you, Agent Seed." Une's eyes darkened. "Be careful. With both of them." Trowa surmised she was referring to Heero _and_ Relena. He frowned.

"But Wufei is still there, right? If he granted Relena… er, Faye, entry, then he must know what he's dealing with." Une shook her head from side to side.

"He'll listen to her, when she's insistent- Relena, not Faye," she clarified. "Deep down, it seems he has a soft spot for her."

Trowa scoffed. "Don't we all."

"You know how good she is at appealing to her audience," Une continued with a heave of her shoulders. "That woman can turn black into white. And she's been begging Wufei to let her see Heero for months now. I knew he would cave, one of these days, and she would take advantage of his sympathy." She shook her head morosely. "Last night set everyone on edge, but not one of us can afford to let our feelings dictate how we handle things from now on." She leveled Trowa with her gaze. "Understand?"

Trowa met the commander's resolute gaze with one of his own. "It won't be a problem."

* * *

Relena stood to the side of the exam table that held Heero, watching in mesmerized silence as his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. He looked so peaceful as he slept. She wanted to reach out and smooth back his long, unruly bangs, but knew Wufei would bark at her. Was he a Preventer agent, doctor or guard dog? At the moment, he seemed to be an uneasy combination of all three.

She took a tentative step forward. Wufei immediately shot out an arm to block her.

"Stay back," he warned.

"But he's sleeping," she hissed, whirling to face him.

"Doesn't matter," Wufei said sharply as he blocked her path. "What did I say earlier?"

"Hey."

Relena's head jerked up at the sound of the deep baritone. Cloaked in annoyance, but smooth as velvet. And intimately familiar. She couldn't hold back the smile as it crossed her face, and she turned back to look at Heero.

He opened an eye - just one - and peered in their direction.

"You two." He glowered. "Mind keeping it down over there?"

* * *

-RGS


	13. Remember Me

Relena took a few cautious steps forward, ignoring Wufei beside her.

"He-" she started, but Wufei's eyes shot out a warning. "Hello," she said instead, turning her eyes back to Heero. He looked up at her blankly as she addressed him. "You're-"

"Odin," Heero cut in, his eyes assessing her where she stood before sliding over to Wufei. "Or so I'm told."

Relena bobbed her head toward him. "Hello, Odin."

Her heart warmed at the thought of Wufei using Heero's birth name. She took another tentative step toward the exam table, gazing down at Heero in wonderment. How familiar, yet how different he seemed. His eyes were blue and luminous again, the eyes she knew and cherished, blinking up at her curiously as she drew closer. She came to a stop, mere inches away, close enough to reach out and touch him. But she held back, clasping her hands in front of her. Her heart ached as she looked at Heero, strapped to the table, staring up at her in bewilderment, like he didn't know how to interact with another soul. He looked less like the 27-year-old she knew he was, and more like the 15-year-old boy she had encountered with the wild eyes and deadly secret.

And, just like that, she forgot she was supposed to be Faye. She was awestruck, teenaged Relena Darlian all over again. And her heart, just as it did back then, went out to Heero.

"You must be so uncomfortable like that," Relena said softly, eyeing the restraints that bound him.

Heero's eyes swung back over to hers. "Why do you care?"

"I…" Relena glanced back at Wufei, knowing exactly what she wanted to say, but assuming he would interrupt as soon as she started. "Well-"

"You tried to kill her last night, during your little tirade," Wufei grumbled. Heero's brows lifted.

"I did?" Relena was taken aback by the innocent, almost childlike expression that crossed his face. He looked back up at her, his eyes lingering on the sling cradling her arms. "Are you here for revenge?" His voice was ernest, almost as if he welcomed the thought.

"No, I… just needed to see you," she said, fishing for a sensible reason. "For... closure." Heero's brows knit in confusion.

"Would you mind… telling me what I did?"

Relena's eyes widened. "You don't remember?"

Wufei frowned and pulled a tablet out from the inside of his lab coat, and started scrolling over the screen with his pointer finger. "To my knowledge the sedatives wouldn't have an amnesiac effect…"

"It's not the drugs," Heero quipped. "It's how you programmed me." He gazed steadily up at Relena. "Whatever it is, it's like an on-off switch. I have no recollection of these attacks. I merely hear about them afterward."

Wufei's words from the other night came back to her. _A bastardized version_ _of the Zero system._ Relena's heart pounded. "But how-"

"How did you survive?" Heero interrupted, frowning up at her.

Relena skimmed over the details. "I... was rescued when you were tranquilized."

Heero shook his head to the side. "No, I mean before that."

" _Before_ that?"

"I mean," Heero said slowly, "how did anyone get to you in time? I'm told when I attack, there are no survivors." His eyes narrowed but stayed on hers. "Are you special?"

"Am I _special_?" Relena echoed.

"Yeah, you know." He tipped his chin up at her. "Are you like me?"

"No, I'm not. I'm just…" She fumbled for the right word. "Normal, I guess." Heero frowned.

"Hm. I thought maybe they'd gone ahead and created a female counterpart for me, like they say they're going to. Then they can breed us or whatever."

Relena whirled to look at Wufei. "Is that true?" She knew about the potential plans to inject the nanotech into a female test subject, but this was the first she'd heard about any "breeding."

"Could be." Wufei shrugged. "You'd have to ask Director Backer about that." Relena gaped at him, clenching and unclenching her hand. She did _not_ like the sound of that one bit.

"You told me I could start having conjugal visits," Heero said to Wufei. Relena's face flamed as Heero's gaze flicked over her. "I thought that's what this was."

"What?!" she sputtered.

"Well, you're dressed for it."

"W- Dr. Zan!" Relena gasped. Wufei rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, Odin, but your harem of superwomen is pending." The joke didn't seem to land with Heero.

"What's wrong with this one?" He tipped his chin toward Relena.

Wufei's brows shot up. "Pardon?"

Relena swung wild eyes back to Heero, who was smirking up at her.

"Come on, gorgeous. Why don't you help me out of these?" His eyes glittered. "We could get to know each other better. I promise I'll be gentle this time..." Relena's flush deepened.

"That's enough, Yu-" Wufei stopped himself just short of using Heero's last name. "You," he amended. "And she already told you why she's here."

"Allegedly," said Heero. "She didn't say who she was." He frowned up at Relena. "Who are you?"

Hearing those words from him hurt, a fresh reminder that he had no recollection of her whatsoever.

"You know me," she said softly, inching closer to the exam table. "You don't remember me, but you know me."

Heero's frown deepened. "How?"

Relena took in a hesitant breath, already seeing Wufei's shaking head out of the corner of her eye.

"We… were close," she said finally. Heero appeared to be taking that in, his brow furrowing.

"Close," he repeated. "Are we… family?"

 _Yes,_ Relena wanted to say. Even though they had never officially defined their relationship, after nine years with Heero, she thought of him as her husband. He was probably the closest she would come to having one, anyway.

Relena ignored the looks of warning from Wufei and rested her hand on top of one of Heero's.

"We were in love," she said, her voice hovering just above a whisper. She held back tears as Heero's eyes held her captive. He said nothing for a full moment, just laid there taking her in some more.

"I had a feeling," he said at last. Relena's heartbeat quickened.

"You did?"

"Yeah. Another reason I thought this visit might be conjugal." He shot a glare at Wufei. Relena's face flushed again. "Sorry about that," Heero added. "Guess I have a one-track mind. You must understand, I'm bored as hell in here. And none of the techs are pretty like you. There's not much eye candy."

Relena had to stop herself from laughing out loud. Her heart ached for Heero, but hearing his complaints over his confinement was actually endearing. She wanted to crawl up onto the exam table and hug him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, stroking his hand with her thumb. "I wish I could have come to see you sooner, but-"

"So that's what happened?" Heero asked, his eyes curious. "You came to visit me, and I… attacked you?"

"Yes…" Relena said slowly, nodding. It was as plausible a reason as any. "That is what happened."

Heero's eyes narrowed, and he seemed lost in thought. She stood patiently awaiting his questions while Wufei continued to scowl off to the side.

"How long?" he asked after a while.

"How long… were we together?" Relena asked. Heero nodded. "Nine years," she answered, her voice hushed.

Relena watched as Heero processed this, his face taking on a host of expressions. Shock. Sadness. Anger. His eyes shot over to Wufei.

"You never mentioned this," he growled.

"I didn't know," Wufei lied easily, his face impassive. "It's not my business to know these things. I'm only your doctor."

Heero turned his attention back to Relena. "Then why now?" he asked, frowning. "Why are you here? Why… did any of this happen? Did you know?" Relena could see he was quickly becoming agitated. She squeezed his hand with both of hers.

"I know this is a lot to take in," she whispered. "I want to tell you everything… Odin. I do." Tears sprang into her eyes, and she fought to keep them from spilling. "Let me start over. Please."

"What's your name?" Heero asked quietly, his eyes storming over.

How badly she wanted to tell him the truth, but there were other eyes and ears all around them. "Faye," she said softly, hating the way it sounded then, foreign on her tongue. "Faye Oaks." It was as unsatisfactory as the first time they met, and Heero fled before she could introduce herself.

 _My name is Relena Darlian… What's yours?_

"Faye," he said, his lips curving up slightly. Relena decided then that it didn't sound so bad, when he said it. But then, anything sounded heavenly in his distinct timbre. "Faye," he repeated. "It's a pleasure." His eyes drank her in and she stared back, letting herself drown.

"It's so good to see you." She squeezed his hand again, a smile finding its way to her eyes, despite the tears. "I've missed you." As he looked up at her, frustrated and helpless, it struck her just how much. Her voice hitched. "I've missed you so much…"

"Well, what took you so long?" he murmured. He glowered up at her, but his eyes held a familiar, teasing glint.

"I didn't know," she whispered. "I only just found out."

"How?" Heero asked her.

"I've been searching for you."

He frowned. "How did you find me?"

Relena wanted to tell him the truth, but knew Wufei would forbid it. Sure enough, he chose that moment to interrupt.

"Time's up," he said. Both Relena and Heero glared in his direction.

"Not yet," she said, desperate to stay. "There's so much more to say..."

"Yeah," Heero cut in, glaring at Wufei. "Let her finish."

"I'm afraid that's all we have time for," Wufei said sternly. "Miss Oaks isn't even supposed to be down here. I was doing her a favor."

"Why?" Heero asked testily. "What's in it for you?"

"Not getting sued," Wufei quipped. It was unnerving, how easily he could craft a lie on the spot. He placed a hand on Relena's shoulder and steered her away from the table. "Time to go."

"But…" Relena held fast to Heero's hand. "You can't just make me leave him like this. We've only just found each other again; I'm not ready to say goodbye." She forced away the tears that sprang back up and whirled on Wufei, summoning up her most commanding, regal tone. "I'm not leaving. You'll have to drag me out of here yourself."

Wufei regarded with her with a bored expression. "Very well, Miss Oaks. That can be arranged." He released her shoulder and walked over to his computer console, his hand hovering over a button. "Security will be here momentarily." Relena gaped at him.

"That won't be necessary," she said coolly. She would be having words with Wufei later. For now, she focused on Heero. "Don't worry," she said more gently, doing her best to smile for him. "I'll be back for you soon."

Heero's eyes sparked. "Yeah? Good." Relena's heart flipped. Ignoring Wufei's impatient grunt, she leaned over and brushed a kiss to Heero's forehead, savoring the feel of her lips against his skin. "Until next time, then. Get some rest, Odin."

Relena paused while her face was close to his, remembering their first kiss, how he had grabbed her and pulled her to him so suddenly, sending her entire world crashing down. Remarkably, as they looked at one another, Relena got the sense that he could read her thoughts.

"Do it," Heero murmured, his eyes glittering up at her.

"Do what?" she whispered, dazzled by their sudden closeness.

"Kiss me."

Relena gasped, and then his lips were on hers. He was craning his neck up as high as he could to reach her; she leaned down to end his struggle, kissing him fully. She couldn't believe it just happened like that, especially since he still didn't know who she really was. But then, in that moment, as his eyes shone up at her, she felt in her soul that Heero _must_ know. Whatever had happened to his mind, exactly, the memories were still there. She knew it. They just had to be reawakened.

They kissed until Wufei's throat clearing became unbearable.

"I meant what I said about security," he threatened.

Relena sighed and broke away from Heero. Disappointment flashed over his face.

"No," he said forcefully, his jaw tightening. "Don't go."

Relena gazed down at him sadly. "I must, for now," she murmured. "But I'm coming back for you, Odin. I promise." Her heart broke all over again at the look on his face. _He's lonely. And afraid._ Relena wanted to kiss him again, but Wufei snatched her by the arm and dragged her toward the door. She watched Heero over her shoulder, his face a swirling storm, as Wufei completed the forceful exit.

He didn't speak to her as he pulled her out of the lab and back down the hallway toward the elevator. He waited until they were both inside the elevator before whirling on her.

"What the hell," he seethed, "was that."

Relena's eyes burned. "I had to," she whispered shakily. "You see him like that every day. Caged…" She whispered hotly, "...like an animal. What did you think that would do to me?!"

"I know!" Wufei spat. Relena could tell he was on the verge of yelling at her, but he seemed to be working to slow his breathing. He lowered his voice but his dark eyes simmered. "I know, goddamnit. Can't you see why I tried to keep you out of this?!"

She gripped his bicep and gave him a hard stare. "We need," she said as she dug her fingers into his arm, "to get him out of here."

Wufei scowled and wrenched his arm away as the elevator door opened. "We discussed this," he hissed.

He didn't elaborate as they exited the elevator, as Relena knew he wouldn't. He couldn't afford to compromise their situation; he had to appear to be the researcher escorting his investor out. He even plastered a phony smile to his face as he took her, more gently this time, by the elbow and led her toward the front doors.

"Thank you again for stopping by," he said, a little too cheerily. "Always a pleasure, Miss Oaks. We appreciate your continued support. Come back anytime."

Relena's eyes flashed at him. "Oh, I will."

But she nearly stopped in her tracks as they strode past security. There stood none other than Trowa, clad in a brown uniform. He stood waiting to the side of the metal detector while the security guard on duty ran a series of cardboard boxes through an x-ray machine. He glanced over and met Relena's eyes briefly before dropping his gaze, maintaining a disinterested expression. Relena also turned away as if she hadn't seen him. She knew Wufei had noticed, too, and could only guess what he might say to them both later.

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you to all the readers and reviewers... We hope you are still out there and still enjoying this! Sorry it's taken a while to get this going again, but we are back on track with regular updates and appreciate your patience! Of course there are a few more 3xR stories to read now (yippee!) but we just wanna say... we were on that ship before it was cool ;)_

 _Anyway, if you are enjoying this please let us know!_

 _\- RGS_


	14. Shattered

Trowa watched Relena and Wufei out of the corner of his eye, wondering what might have happened in the lab. Whatever it was, he could sense the strain between the two from across the room as Wufei ushered Relena out of the building. As soon as the security guard finished scanning the packages for Dr. Zan, Trowa would follow Relena outside and find out exactly what had transpired. But his plan was quickly foiled.

"Dr. Zan?" The man waved over to Wufei. "Packages for you…"

Wufei turned toward the security post, frowning. "All right," he said as he strode in their direction. He looked blankly at Trowa. "Could you bring those down to the lab for me? Thanks."

Trowa blinked but managed to hide his surprise. "Sure thing." He grabbed the packages and followed after Wufei toward the lobby elevators.

"What's with the get-up?" Wufei muttered once they were out of the guard's earshot. "Bad enough I've got Darlian running around in a catsuit; now you've joined the costume parade. Why didn't you just show up as a clown? You could've posed as the entertainment."

Trowa barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "Une sent me to retrieve Relena. An errand I wouldn't have had to bother with if you hadn't let her come here in the first place." Wufei's jaw tightened as he punched the elevator button, but he didn't address Trowa until they were both inside.

"You know how she can be," Wufei said through clenched teeth once the doors had shut. He punched the button for the basement level. Trowa shifted his weight as he held the boxes, but Wufei didn't bother taking any from him. They rode down in silence and exited the elevator into the hallway. Trowa followed after Wufei as he took a right and headed down a corridor.

"So that's your excuse?" Trowa asked. "After you complained about her bringing me into this mission, you just cave to her whims? Apparently she's got you wrapped around her little finger."

Wufei addressed Trowa without turning around. "More than you know." He hastened his pace down the dimly-lit corridor. Trowa's stomach dropped.

"Not you, too..."

Ahead of Trowa, Wufei's shoulders slumped, but he continued leading them down the long corridor. And while Trowa had a longer stride, he had to quicken his pace to keep up with Wufei, all the while juggling his pile of boxes. Luckily, juggling happened to be one of his specialties; apparently, it was also one of Relena's. His chest felt aflame with a jealous rage he hadn't known he was capable of feeling.

"But... Relena said Heero was the only-"

"Other man she'd been with?" Wufei scoffed. "Yeah. I heard that one."

"When?" he asked Wufei tersely, as they approached the lab entrance. The shorter man turned dark eyes up to Trowa.

"A few months back. She was… distraught when she found out what had happened to Heero." Wufei glanced around him furtively before continuing. "I tried to stay out of it, but she said she needed someone to talk to, and so I became the proverbial shoulder to cry on." His mouth hardened into a firm line. "I'm sure you can fill in the rest from there."

Trowa fought to suppress the tide of emotions that roiled him. "Why didn't you say anything?" Wufei rolled his eyes.

"Whatever she does is none of my business. It never was. And anyway, whatever _you_ were doing with her is over and done with, now that she's seen Heero again." Wufei looked pointedly at Trowa. "You do realize this?"

Trowa's throat tightened. "But Heero's not himself."

Wufei chuckled darkly. "You think she cares about that? You think she cares about any of this?" He gestured vaguely around them before turning and entering a code on the panel to the side of the large metal doors. "Anyway. Prepare yourself."

The doors slid open and Wufei swept inside. Trowa followed behind him, hefting the boxes, his mind still trying to register Wufei's insinuation. He wondered who he should believe- him or Relena. Was the kind, caring woman he was getting to know even capable of such deceit? Perhaps her other persona had become the more dominant side, rendering the version of Relena he knew into nothing more than a play for sympathy, whenever it was convenient for her. Trowa felt hurt and disgusted as he set the boxes down on a side table, as Wufei directed.

And then he looked up and turned his head, meeting the cold, blue eyes of none other than Heero Yuy. Trowa felt a chill run through him. Even though Heero was inside a smaller exam room and strapped to a table, he could feel the man's stare burning through the glass.

Trowa turned when he felt other eyes on him. Wufei stood watching him with a bemused expression. Trowa had to wonder if the other former Gundam pilot was thinking what he was; that, if Heero - the old Heero - had heard what they had just been discussing, neither one of them would be standing there much longer.

"It's like he knows," Trowa murmured. Wufei's eyes glinted.

"The thought has crossed my mind, more than once," he said just loudly enough for Trowa to hear. "But extensive testing has confirmed that he has not, in fact, retained any of his memories prior to the start of the procedure." He tipped his head toward the exam room. "He looks at you like he can see right through you. You know Heero, though. That severe expression is his default."

"True," Trowa said with a nod. "He's always had that unfortunate resting bitch face." Wufei snorted. he asked more quietly. "How did Relena take it?"

Wufei's eyes rolled. "Are you kidding? I had to pry her away from him." Trowa's jaw tightened.

"I see."

"Women love bastards," Wufei mumbled. Now Trowa rolled his eyes.

"You ought to know."

"She didn't love me," Wufei growled. "Do you want to talk to him, or what?" Trowa looked taken aback.

"Seriously?"

"Isn't that why you're here?"

Trowa shook his head. "I came for Relena, remember?"

"And I've already taken care of that," Wufei said flatly. "She's no longer in harm's way." Trowa frowned, wondering exactly what he meant by that.

"I've been ordered to keep an eye on her."

"Well, if she's not in here, she can't be getting into much trouble elsewhere," Wufei grumbled. "Knowing her, she probably went home to have a good cry."

"Not if she's in Faye mode," Trowa pointed out. Wufei scoffed.

"No such thing."

Trowa arched a brow. "You don't think so? Une is concerned-"

Wufei cut him off with a curt shake of his head. "Bullshit. Relena has no 'alter persona'; they're one in the same." He turned smug eyes up to Trowa. "She really has you fooled, doesn't she?" Trowa shifted uncomfortably where he stood, still under the watchful gaze of Heero Yuy. He wanted to leave. Wufei must have sensed his unease, because he waved Trowa towards the door, which Wufei opened with another code. They stepped back out into the main corridor.

"If what you're saying is true, then you fell for it just as much," Trowa muttered. "And you continue to let her play you."

"Like you didn't either. How far did she let you go?" Wufei asked, mirth dripping from his words.

Trowa opened his mouth to speak, but before he could come up with a lie, a young technician appeared from an adjacent room to Heero's cell, worry and fear written across his face.

"What is it?" Wufei barked.

"It's the specimen! He's going crazy! He started as soon as you left the room!" the technician cried. Wufei whirled around and punched in the code to Heero's cell. He threw himself through the doorway and halted, his eyes wide.

Heero had ripped through his restraints and was pounding on the glass with his super-human strength. Trowa followed Wufei into the room and bumped into his shoulder, stopping in surprise at Heero's violence.

Even worse, the glass was shattering.

Wufei spun around and slammed his hand against a button on the wall. An alarm blared to life and red lights in the ceiling flashed. With another heavy pound, Heero broke through the glass window. It shattered into large pieces on the ground. Heero stepped through the broken glass, scratching himself in the process. Drops of shining red blood fell from his arms into little puddles on the tiled floor.

"Well, doctor," Heero said, smiling at Wufei and Trowa. "I believe our relationship has come to an end. I would shake your hand, but I have this feeling that I don't shake people's hands."

With that, Heero landed a punch to Wufei's gut, sending him flying against the wall. His body hit, hard, and he slumped to the floor, his eyes closed. Trowa hesitated for a moment, but it was a moment too long. Heero threw a punch at the side of Trowa's head and made a connection. Trowa flew off his feet to the side and landed in a heap on the floor.

Heero looked down at their bodies without emotion and stepped over them, heading for the door.

* * *

 _A/N: Love to our reviewers!_

 _\- RGS_


	15. Bombs Away

Relena drove. She didn't know where she was going, or where she'd finally end up, but she drove anyway. Her mind whirled with the conversation she'd had with Heero… Odin. He really _didn't_ remember anything about their past together. That fact made her heart ache.

She slowed her car and turned off a main road onto a dirt road that led into the woods. She realized that she was still near the research facility, and she was heading towards the place she'd last seen Heero, when he'd escaped. Her unconscious mind was taking her back.

The road curved to the right, and as Relena navigated around the bend, her headlights swept across the trees and brushes. Up ahead, her headlights shone against a figure standing in the middle of the road. Relena screamed and slammed on her breaks. The car skidded across dirt and rocks, coming to a stop just before hitting the figure.

Relena turned off the engine and looked back up through the windshield. It was him. It was Heero, standing in front of her car in the middle of the woods. He had escaped, or did Wufei let him go?

She pushed open her door and stepped out of the car. Looking at him, strong conflicting emotions tore at her mind. How did he know she'd be here, when she didn't even know she'd end up in the same woods? Had he intended to find _her_?

Faye itched at her psyche, wanting to be released. The danger Heero posed was too much for Relena to handle on her own. But Relena held on, wanting another chance to talk to Heero.

"How did you get away?" Relena asked, staring him down. Heero shrugged a shoulder and a slow smile spread across his face.

"It wasn't too hard to escape," Heero said. "They didn't know the true extent of my strength. I never showed them." Relena blinked.

"You held back in all your testing," she said, and Heero nodded. Just how strong was he? Hairs on the back of Relena's neck stuck up on end, reacting to the potential danger that Heero posed. But her heart went out to him, even as Faye struggled to pull it back. Relena pressed a hand to the side of her head, willing Faye to back off for a moment, to let her speak. But the man in front of her was changed. He was no longer the Heero she had known and with whom she had fallen in love. Nothing would ever be the same.

Relena lost her hold. Faye took over, reaching down into the car and pulling a pistol from under the seat. She pointed it at Heero's chest. "You're a danger to society," she said.

 _Don't kill him_.

"Hush, Relena," Faye said. Her eyes narrowed on Heero, who remained standing, staring down the barrel of the pistol, unafraid. In fact, he was smirking.

"There's only one person who can kill me, and it's not you," Heero said.

Faye smirked. "We'll see about that." She fired the pistol, but Heero moved out of the way so fast he was a blur. Faye's resolve wavered for just a moment, and she lost hold when Heero appeared in front of her and landed a punch to her gut. Relena edged herself in and cried out in pain as her body crumpled to the ground.

"Please Hee-... Odin. Don't do this," she said through gasping breaths. Heero stared down at her, confusion etched on his face.

 _Get out of the way, Relena._

"No!" Relena pushed herself off the ground, sucking in air to regain her breath. Her abdomen ached where the punch from Heero had landed. Once on her feet, she stood, hunched over. The pain was too much for Relena to bear, and Faye easily slipped into control.

"You'll pay for that," Faye said, lifting herself up to her full height. She pointed her pistol at Heero once more and fired off a round, but Heero dodged easily once again. Two more shots fired, and each one rammed into trees beyond, splintering the wood. Heero shook his head.

"You're not going to succeed," he said. "I already told you, you are not strong enough to kill me."

"Bullshit," Faye said. "You're just a human, like the rest of us."

Heero laughed.

 _You're wrong. He's too strong for you, Faye!_

Faye ignored Relena's voice, but tossed her pistol to the ground, though the magazine was not spent. She edged towards the car and lifted the truck.

"Then I guess I need more firepower," she said. She pulled an AR-57 from the truck and hoisted it up to her shoulder. Heero shook his head, but Faye fired. He dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way from the barrage of bullets that flew past, splintering more trees with the impact of each bullet. Faye lowered the rifle from her shoulder and looked at Heero, sprawled on the ground. He rose, dusting himself off.

"I'm going to keep dodging your attacks," Heero said. His eyes narrowed. "Let me talk to Relena."

 _Let me out, Faye!_

"She's not available right now," Faye said. Relena struggled against Faye's hold, but she was too strong, had too much of a grip. Heero nodded, as if confirming his suspicions about the war waging inside the body of Relena Darlian.

"Sorry about this, Relena," he said, and ran at her, his fist colliding with her stomach once more. Her breath wooshed from her lungs, and she doubled over, clutching her stomach. She dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. Distracted, Heero turned to the truck of the car and rummaged around for whatever weapons she had hiding in the trunk.

"Get. Out. Of. There," Faye gasped. Heero ignored her and lifted a small, black orb from the trunk. Faye knew what it was, and fear gripped her as she watched Heero examine the small explosive. Small, yes, but deadly.

"This ought to do it," Heero said, popping the bomb up into the air and catching it with his hand. Faye pushed herself to her feet, still doubled over, and for a moment, lost control. Relena fought her way back in.

"Please, don't kill me, Odin," she pleaded. "Let me help you." She lifted herself up from her hunched position. "I can help you regain your lost memories. We can-"

Heero cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I'm not going to kill you," he said. "I'm going to kill myself."

Both Relena and Faye gasped.

 _Let him. He's a danger to society._

"Be quiet," Relena said. Heero blinked at her, but her gaze shifted back to him. "You don't need to kill yourself. You can learn to control your strength. You don't have to kill anyone. You probably don't remember this, but a long time ago, you said you'd never have to kill anyone ever again. That's still true." Heero shook his head.

"You don't understand. I _am_ too strong, too strong for anyone. And I will kill," Heero said. "I have to kill. It's programmed into my brain, now." Relena shook her head from side to side, her hair whipping in her face.

"No, you don't have to kill. Killing is a _choice_ ," she cried.

"Not for me."

"Well, what about the Zero system?" she asked. Heero looked puzzled.

"What Zero system?" he asked. Relena blinked, and remembered. Heero - Odin - didn't know about the Zero system.

"It's this… system…" she said, trying to explain, circling her hands. Heero stared at her with a skeptical expression.

 _Just kill him!_

Relena shook away Faye's voice from her mind. "It can manipulate your thoughts…"

"I don't like the sound of that," Heero said. "I've been manipulated enough. Whatever they've done to me…" His voice trailed off and he dropped his eyes to the ground. "It's too much to bear," he added after a moment. "I feel like I'm falling apart from the inside. No human can withstand this kind of power. It must be destroyed. I must be destroyed."

Heero took a few steps back, away from Relena. But she closed the gap, stepping even closer to him. He was trying to get away, but she couldn't let him. If she could just keep him talking... "But you could possibly recover your memories," she cried. "You could remember everything, including us…"

"Even if I remembered, nothing would be the same," Heero said.

 _Let me out, Relena!_

Relena held on as tight as he could. She stepped up to Heero and threw her arms around his neck and crushed a kiss to his lips. His hand lingered on her hip for a moment, but then he pushed her away. Relena's arms fell away from him, and a heavy sadness came over her. Heero gave her one look and continued to back up. In his hand, he flicked the detonation switch, still moving backwards, away from Relena. A soft beeping came from the bomb.

Faye tore at her mind, desperate to take control, but Relena held on.

"Heero!" Relena cried out, her voice cracking with desperation.

The beeping stopped. Heero looked up at Relena, and for a moment, recognition filled his blue eyes. They softened.

"Relena…" he said, sending a chill up Relena's spine. She opened her mouth to cry out again, but a flash of light consumed Heero, and a roaring sound filled Relena's ears. Her resolve broke and Faye took over. Turning her body, Faye threw herself down behind the car and covered her head with her hands. The roaring escalated into an explosion. Faye could feel the heat of the explosion on her back. A wind blew hard against her.

And silence.

Faye lifted her head. She pushed herself up to her feet and stepped around the car. The front end of the car was partially destroyed. It was a wonder she didn't have damage herself. A blast circle edged out from the center of the explosion. A body lay in the center, the remains of Heero Yuy. Faye pressed her lips together. She could hear Relena screaming in her mind, desperately wanting to take control, but Faye pushed her back. This was not something Relena should have to deal with.

Faye walked into the blast circle and knelt down beside the body. She gathered the remains up in her arms and carried him back to the car, where she carefully laid the body in the backseat. She didn't know what she'd do next, but she knew Relena would never forgive her if she left his body in the middle of the woods.

Faye climbed into the car and started the engine. At first, the car didn't want to start, but eventually, the engine turned off and the car revved to life. She backed the car down the dirt road, turned, and sped away.

* * *

 _A/N: Hope you enjoyed the action. ;-) Thank you to everyone still reading and reviewing!_

 _-RGS_


	16. Concrete Tomb

When Trowa opened his eyes, he felt the pain in his head, pain he had never experienced before. Lifting a hand to the side of his head, he felt a large bump that was covered by a bandage wrapped around his head. He rubbed at the bump a moment, closing his eyes against the throbbing pain.

Looking around, he found himself on a gurney surrounded by Preventer agents, outside of the Abbott facility. It appeared that the place was now under Preventer control. He saw Une not too far away, issuing orders and barking at someone on the telephone.

He looked to his side and saw Wufei standing nearby. Trowa tried to lift himself up, but the pain in his head kept him firmly against the pillow. Wufei noticed his movement and stepped towards the gurney.

"You're awake," Wufei commented, his expression neutral.

"What happened?" Trowa asked. "What's going on?"

"Since Yuy escaped again, Une decided to raid the facility before we were ready. But we have enough evidence on Dr. Backer to put him away. Preventer is shutting down the entire operation," Wufei explained. Trowa raised an eyebrow, but even that small movement caused him pain. He closed his eyes.

"Where's Relena?" Trowa asked.

"No one has seen her since she left the facility," Wufei replied, his lips creasing. "No one has been able to get in contact with her."

"And what about Heero?" Trowa asked, but Wufei shook his head.

"He could still be out there, doing who knows what." Wufei glowered. "I knew it was a bad idea to let Relena talk to him." Trowa agreed with Wufei on that point.

"Barton," a brusk female voice said. He opened his eyes against the pain and saw Une standing at the foot of his gurney. "Glad to see you're awake. Wufei, if you're up to it, I'd like you to come inside and go over some of the evidence we found." Wufei nodded. Trowa wanted to join them, so he pushed himself up, ignoring the fierce pain in his skull, and slipped his feet to the ground. The EMTs nearby rushed to his side, voicing protests against his movement.

"I'm fine," he said, waving them away, though he knew that was a lie. He followed Wufei and Une into the facility.

They walked down the main corridor and turned into the conference room where Trowa had first overheard the entire situation. Stacks of folders, paperwork, and computer hard drives littered the long conference room table. Une motioned to the table and Wufei stepped up, shifting through stacks, glancing through page after page. Trowa leaned against the wall, one hand pressed against the side of his head.

"Gold," a young Preventer said, stepping into the room. "Miss Darlian has arrived."

"Send her in," Une said. The Preventer agent nodded and disappeared from the doorway.

Moments later, Relena strode into the room, glancing around until her eyes landed on Trowa in a cool, piercing gaze. Trowa knew right away it wasn't Relena he would be dealing with. He sighed and braced himself for the encounter.

"He's gone," Faye announced, planting one hand at her hip. The other hand was raised as she seemed to be examining her nail beds.

Trowa shot a look to Wufei. "We know," said Trowa. "We… saw him escape."

"No…" Faye looked at each of them pointedly. "He's dead."

"Dead?" Trowa felt his stomach drop.

"What?" Une gasped.

"You got him?" Wufei quirked a brow. "How?"

"I didn't have to do anything," Faye explained with a bored expression, as if she had somewhere more important to be. "He killed himself. A bomb."

For a second, Trowa thought he heard a quiver of emotion in her voice - Relena trying to pry her way out. But it was gone even faster than he could detect.

Trowa glanced to Wufei again, frowning. "He's blown himself up before," he said, thinking about how he and his sister had nursed Heero back from the brink of death, all those years ago, and the months he'd spent traveling with Heero around the world. The friendship they'd formed. Then the war ended, Heero took over Relena's detail, and Trowa hadn't heard from him since, assuming the two of them would just ride off into the sunset.

Apparently not everything was meant to be.

As Trowa stood there staring at this calloused version of Relena, the girl he'd met only after she'd tracked Heero down, all the way down in Antarctica, the voice of his old friend came back to haunt him.

" _Perhaps I'll follow in your example."_

" _In that case I've got one warning… It hurts like hell."_

Trowa had to work to stop the laughter that erupted at the memory. He harrumphed and looked at Wufei, who was clearly not amused, but he knew the other Gundam pilot at least understood Trowa's bizarre reaction.

"And you're sure he's dead?" Wufei asked Faye, as if he doubted it himself.

"Yep. Picked up the pieces myself," she said with a careless shrug. "You can see for yourself. I left the body in her car. Didn't want to tamper with the evidence."

Trowa watched as Une and Wufei exchanged looks, and the color seemed to drain from both their faces. And then Une was snapping back into action, barking out orders to the other Preventers and EMTs who were still milling about the room. A group of them rushed out to go recover the body.

The sick feeling in Trowa's gut returned in full force. Heero really was gone, and yet part of him couldn't fully believe it. He turned away from Faye, and thought of Relena. When she found out…

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. He glanced back up at Faye, wondering if Relena would show herself then. But Faye was already wise to his attempt to draw Relena out.

"Relena's not here right now," she said in a voice that was sickeningly sweet. "I'll give her your message at some point."

Wufei sighed and walked to join Une in another part of the room, clearly not caring to bother trying to argue with Relena's other persona. Trowa only listened to snatches of the Preventers' conversation as they discussed this latest development. He briefly wondered how Heero's death would impact the investigation. But at the moment, he was more worried about the woman Heero had left behind.

"Where is Relena?" Trowa asked Faye through clenched teeth.

"Somewhere safe," she replied casually. "Where she doesn't have to deal with all this." She gestured around them with a sweep of her hands.

Trowa felt something cold run down his spine.

"Well, then." He didn't know how to argue with this entity, or whatever it was that had managed to overtake Relena's mind. "You know you will have to let her come back, eventually," he warned, daring to take a step closer to the woman he'd had no trouble getting close to, mere days ago. "She needs to be allowed to mourn properly. Heero was the love of her life," he added, although the very thought made him ache. He knew it was true, and it was time to admit it.

It was time to let go.

"She already has," Faye quipped. "Two years ago, when he first disappeared. I've been here ever since to help her… deal." She spread her hands and gave him an easy smile.

"Yeah, well I think it's about time you made your exit," Trowa growled. "She doesn't need you anymore. She has friends to help her through this."

Faye burst out laughing. "Who? Like you, pretty boy? You think you're just going to show up and be her knight in shining armor? Is that it?" She whirled on him, her eyes glittering. "You're nothing but another fool," she cackled. "Pity, though. You were a good lay. I might even miss you, a little." She cocked her head at him, smirking.

Trowa stared at Faye in disbelief. "What the hell are you saying?"

"Aw, poor darling. You thought you had Relena all that time?" Faye threw her head back, roaring. "So many stupid men out there. I've lost track..."

Trowa pushed down the anger he felt welling up inside him. Whatever was happening to Relena, he knew this was not the woman he had started to fall for, foolish as it might have been. Still. He only hoped the real Relena might return one day, and that she might know happiness again. Trowa sensed she was going to need a lot of help to get there.

"Why don't you leave, then?" He turned back to Faye, trying to keep his tone level. Uncaring. "Leave Relena to sort out her demons. Starting with you."

Before Faye could utter another word, Trowa advanced on her. She looked at him coyly, her lips parting into a wicked grin as he approached. But Trowa darted his hand up to her neck, quickly located a pressure point, and squeezed just enough.

Faye's eyes jerked wide, then fluttered closed.

"I'm sorry, Relena." Her body went slack, and Trowa caught her in his arms.

"Barton, what the hell are you doing?!" Wufei came storming over to him, his obsidian eyes burning with fury. Une approached as well, confusion written across her face.

"It wasn't really Relena," Trowa said, defending himself and his action. "I needed to shut Faye up..."

"Faye?" Une asked, looking between Trowa and Wufei, who shared an intense look. "As in Relena's false identity?"

"Faye isn't real," Wufei barked, but Trowa shook his head.

"She's real, alright. I'm sure she'll be pissed when she wakes up later," Trowa said, looking down at the woman in his arms. Wufei shook his head, muttering to himself, but he gathered Relena up into his own arms and carried her from the room. Une shot an exasperated look at Trowa before following after Wufei. Trowa watched after them and caught a glimpse of Relena's face before she disappeared from view. In sleep she wore the calm, serene expression of the woman he had cared for. She looked every bit the fairytale princess… fitting, he thought bitterly, since it turned out his relationship with her was nothing but imaginary.

Trowa glanced around the conference room and realized he no longer had any reason to be there. He was certain Une would contact him to report on his version of events later. The past few days were already blurring into another haze of a memory in his mind. One he wouldn't mind forgetting altogether.

Another ill-fated piece of advice from his old friend haunted Trowa as he exited the room of the building that was now Heero's tomb.

" _The only way to live a good life is to act on your emotions."_

As a youth, Trowa had taken those words to heart. Now, he had to wonder if it was even worth the trouble.

"Sorry, old friend," he muttered as he exited the facility. "But I don't think I'll be following your advice any more."

With a final glance over his shoulder, he watched the Preventer agents move in and out of the facility like ants on an ant hill. He walked towards a large bush, where he had hidden Catherine's motorcycle. In spite of the throbbing in his head, he climbed on the motorcycle, and put his keys in the ignition, closed the choke and opened the throttle. With the rising sun's rays at his back, he drove away from the Abbott Memorial Research Institute, leaving so much behind.

* * *

-RGS


	17. Epilogue

The 27 Club  
Epilogue

* * *

 _Several months later_

It was after midnight when Trowa received the call.

His cell phone chirped, waking him from a deep slumber. He rose from his cot, stumbled to the phone and picked it up to answer the call.

"Hello?"

The voice that came through the phone belonged to Colonel Une.

"Trowa? I have some bad news," she said, her voice grave. Adrenaline shot through Trowa's veins and he perked up, pressing the phone to his ear.

"What is it?"

"It's about Relena…" Une said, her voice trailing off. Trowa's stomach clenched and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"What is it? Tell me," he said, speaking quickly into the phone.

"She's dead."

Trowa blinked, and his grip on the phone slipped. He caught it just as it slid down the side of his face. His stomach dropped, and his throat tightened. Dead? How could she possibly be dead?

"H-how?"

"She committed suicide."

This time, the phone slipped to the floor, landing with a crack on the faux-wood tiling. A pent-up breath escaped from Trowa's lungs, along with a cry of pain. One hand flew to his chest and clutched as his heart.

"Trowa?" Une voice came from the floor. His heart thumped in his chest. _Suicide?_ Trowa bent and picked up the phone, once again pressing it to his ear.

"No, this can't be," Trowa stuttered into the phone. "You can't be serious." A silence fell between them for a moment before Une spoke again.

"She'll be buried at the Brussels cemetery tomorrow. The family chose not to have a ceremony," Une said. Trowa gripped the phone in his hand. He couldn't imagine not having a chance to say goodbye to Relena. He couldn't imagine saying goodbye to her… forever. Tears pricked in his eyes.

"Thank you for letting me know," he said, trying to control the emotion in his voice. He couldn't believe that Relena was really gone, and that she chose to take her own life. It was so unbelievable to him. But Une wasn't a person to lie or joke about a serious matter, and so, he knew he must accept her words.

* * *

It was several weeks before Trowa could bring himself to see Relena's grave. With a bouquet of flowers in his hand, he walked across the soggy grass, his heels sinking into the dirt. He found the headstone easily- it was a bright and new, a granite stone pronouncing the final resting place of Relena Peacecraft-Darlian. A mound of fresh dirt sank into the ground just in front of the stone. Trowa stopped and stared at the headstone. His eyes glanced over the dates of her birth and death, not even twenty-eight years old.

Beside Relena's grave was a second mound of dirt, this one covered in new grass. A bright headstone stood proclaiming the spot of the remains of Heero Yuy.

Together at last, though it took until death.

As Trowa studied their names side by side, etched into stone for eternity, sadness and anger roiled his gut. Sad for the loss, angry that it had happened at all, knowing he was missing out on what could have been. Most of all, he was angry with himself for walking away when she needed him most.

Clearly she was more troubled than he'd even known, since she couldn't bring herself to live for long following Heero's death. Trowa couldn't help but feel guilty for walking away from Relena without so much as a goodbye; but after everything that had happened between them in such a short amount of time, he'd felt like he'd been through the ringer. The whole situation left him drained, and wary of letting himself get so close to someone else ever again. Which would be par for the course for Trowa, considering he usually preferred to conduct his life that way. Letting people in was rarely worth the trouble.

But for those few heady days, Trowa had allowed himself to be happy that he and Relena had reconnected, and seemed to be starting something that had the potential to go the distance. In truth, she was so enmeshed into her "Faye" persona when he found her, it turned out she was already lost.

Trowa turned away from the headstone, glancing over his shoulder one last time before he made his slow walk back to his parked motorcycle.

* * *

Trowa drove without paying attention to where he was going. Driving through the city streets, Trowa glanced at shops, restaurants, and homes, lights blazing at the sun began its descent below the horizon. Before he realized where he was, he looked up, and saw the sign of a restaurant, lit up in the fading daylight.

 _The 27 Club_.

He slowed his motorcycle. His eyes landed on a woman, seated at a familiar table on the porch of the restaurant, drinking from a brandy glass. She had short, dark hair, cut into a bob, and wore a sleek black dress.

She looked far too familiar to pass by. Trowa pulled his bike up to the curb, pushed down the kickstand with his toe, and swung his leg over the seat. He walked towards the entrance to The 27 Club and passed through the gate. His mind whirred, but his legs somehow propelled him forward. He stopped at the side of the table of the woman and waited.

She glanced up, meeting his green eyes with her own.

"Trowa."

Her voice was deeper.

"Faye."

Her red painted lips curled into a smile. Trowa shifted on his feet, staring down at the woman in disbelief. He could tell that she wasn't wearing a wig. It was her real hair. Cut and dyed to Faye's style. And the green contacts that obscured her natural blue eyes.

"Where's Relena?" Trowa asked, narrowing his eyes at Faye. Her smile faded. She wrapped her fingers around the brandy glass, brought it to her lips and took a sip.

"She had to leave," Faye said.

"Because of Heero?" Trowa guessed. Faye nodded.

"Relena crumbled after his death. There was no way she could continue to survive," Faye explained. "So I took over."

"And you faked her death," Trowa surmised.

"Not alone. I had some help from one of Relena's old friends." Trowa frowned, but Faye offered no names. Trowa wondered who could possibly fake the death of a well-known politician and undercover Preventer agent. Une? No.

"Dorothy Catalonia?" Faye smiled, but neither confirmed nor denied his guess. "What will you do now?"

"Depends." Her eyes glittered up at him.

"On what?" Trowa asked, frowning.

Faye waved her hand towards the seat across from her.

"Why don't you have a seat?"

Trowa glanced at her, then at the empty chair. A flash of electricity coursed over his skin. He turned, and signaled to the waiter.

END

* * *

A/N: This story ended in the way it started... two girls, sitting on a couch, drinking and laughing about what would happen if Relena and Trowa hooked up. This was the result. We hope you enjoyed the ride. ;-)

Thank you so much for your continued support of Relena's Glam Squad, and we treasure every review we receive. See you soon on our next adventure.

-RGS


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